Ninety percent of Pacific people in Aotearoa New Zealand have had their first covid-19 vaccine, while 11 district health boards (DHBs) have reached 80 percent first doses for Māori, the Ministry of Health says.
There were a total of 17,899 doses administered yesterday, including 5679 first doses and 12,222 second doses.
To date, 92 percent of eligible people in New Zealand have had their first dose and 85 percent are fully vaccinated.
- READ MORE: Two cases of Omicron variant of Covid-19 detected in Australia
- 144 new community cases reported in New Zealand today, one further death
- Other NZ covid lockdown reports
The ministry said the country’s Pacific communities had reached “some key vaccination milestones”, with 90 percent having officially received their first dose, and 80 percent fully vaccinated.
Eleven of the 21 DHBs had reached 80 percent first doses for Māori, it said in a statement.
The ministry also highlighted how Capital & Coast DHB is just 1131 doses shy of reaching the 90 percent fully vaccinated milestone.
More than 2.1 million My Vaccine Passes have been issued.
Auckland events encourage vaccine uptake
This weekend is the last chance New Zealanders have to be fully vaccinated with both injections in time for Christmas.
More than 20 vaccination events were held in Tāmaki Makaurau this weekend, ahead of the Auckland border restrictions easing on December 15.
Tāmaki Makaurau vaccination programme director Matt Hannant said live music, free food and spot prizes were offered at events across the city.
People can also now pre-book to get the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is available from Monday, he said.
144 new cases today – one death
In a separate ministry statement today, 144 new community cases of covid-19 have been reported in New Zealand, with one further death.
The statement said 82 people were in hospital, including nine in intensive care.
Today’s death was a covid-19 patient at North Shore Hospital in their 80s who died yesterday evening.
“Our thoughts are with the patient’s whānau and friends at this deeply sad time,” the statement said.
The ministry said 88 of today’s new cases were yet to be linked.
Today’s new cases included 127 in Auckland, two in Northland, nine in Waikato, four in the Bay of Plenty and the one in Hawke’s Bay reported earlier today which was picked up after a routine hospital swab.
The ministry reported 145 new cases and one death on Saturday.
NZ bans travel from 9 African countries
New Zealand is banning travel from nine southern African countries from tonight in an effort to curb the potential spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday declared the new coronavirus variant to be “of concern” after it originated in South Africa.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said from 11.59pm tonight, only New Zealand citizens will be allowed to travel to the country.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
This post was originally published on Asia Pacific Report.
