Covid-19: 17 new community cases
There are 17 new Covid-19 cases in the community - Nine in the Bay of Plenty, five in Waikato and three in Auckland.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health said they are also reporting two cases in Taranaki, which were reported after their cut-off period. These two cases will be officially added to tomorrow’s tally.
Forty-four people are currently in hospital, including five in intensive care.
The Ministry also reported 23 cases at the border.
"While whole-genome sequencing of these cases is expected soon, the likelihood is that Omicron will continue to be the most prevalent variant at our borders.
"This variant of Covid-19 continues to be having a significant impact globally, so it is not unexpected to see an increase of Omicron cases at the border."
