Saturday February 26

There are 13,606 new cases of Covid-19 in the community today. These are made up of 2,613 positive PCR tests and 10,993 rapid-antigen tests (RAT). 

Of these, 218 are in Northland, 9,262 are in Auckland, 1,154 in Waikato, 690 in Bay of Plenty, 185 in Lakes, 106 in Hawke's Bay, 123 in MidCentral, 28 in Whanganui, 52 in Taranaki, 48 in Tairāwhiti, 18 in Wairarapa, 413 in Capital and Coast, 130 in Hutt Valley, 176 in Nelson Marlborough, 469 in Canterbury, 20 in South Canterbury, 505 in Southern, 3 in West Coast and 6 in unknown locations. 

There are 263 people in hospital, with 5 of those people in intensive care or high dependency units.

The average age of people currently in hospital is 54.

The number of people in hospital is increasing. The Ministry of Health said this was to be expected and is planned for but urged people to get boosted for the best projection. Currently 30.5% of people who are due their booster have not yet had it. 

Here's where we're at with the number of vaccines administered: 4,018,841 first doses; 3,958,058 second doses; 33,324 third primary doses; 2,305,104 booster doses: 236,285 paediatric first doses and 2,702 paediatric second doses. 

In today's statement, health officials said the protest at Parliament Grounds in Wellington is a potential super spreader event and attendees had been showing up at hospitals around the country when they returned home. 

"We advise all those currently at the protest, or who have been at the protest, who are displaying cold and flu symptoms to get a test and isolate until they receive their result."

RAT self-tests are now the primary testing method. If you return a positive result, record it at the My Covid Record website. 

Click here for a list of updated locations of interest.

Top image: Coronavirus antigen rapid test devices. Photo: iStock

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