Covid-19: 45 new community cases
There are 45 new community cases of Covid-19, including 34 of the Omicron variant.
The new cases are in Auckland (22), Waikato (2), Bay of Plenty (3), Rotorua (7), Taranaki (1), Hawke's Bay (8) and Nelson Marlborough (2).
In a statement, the Ministry of Health said there were active cases being treated as Omicron in Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, Palmerston North, and Nelson-Tasman.
It said many of the new cases have previously been reported and linked retrospectively, so were not included in today's report of new community cases.
"The number of cases and contacts are expected to grow given the highly transmissible nature of Omicron and as we learn more from case interviews."
The Ministry also confirmed that one of the five cases that tested positive in Auckland after going to the Soundsplash music festival in Hamilton over the weekend is the Omicron variant.
There are also five people in hospital, with one in intensive care.
