Health officials are “cautiously optimistic” that Auckland’s daily Omicron case numbers are nearing their peak, and could start to fall soon.
It comes as Northern Region Health Coordination Centre’s Dr Andrew Old said the public health system is under a bit of strain from the outbreak, but that it was currently coping so long as people were “playing their part”.
“We are cautiously optimistic that at our case numbers sort of around that 13,000 to 14,000 level that it might represent the peak for us in Auckland,” Old said.
“We’ve only had a few days at that level… based on our modelling and what we’ve seen overseas, we might be about to turn that corner.”
He said hospitalisation numbers remained relatively low at just under 0.5 per cent per 100,000 Covid-19 cases.
But Dr Christine McIntosh says people shouldn’t hesitate to ask for help if they need it.
On Friday, New Zealand recorded 22,527 new cases nationwide and five deaths of people with the virus. Of the total cases on Friday, 13,252 were found in Auckland. There are 562 in hospital including 11 in ICU. Seven are in Auckland ICU.
Old said more rapid antigen tests (RATs) were being rolled out more widely, which could give a better picture of the number of infections. The Ministry of Health's system to allow the public to order and collect RATs got off to a rocky start on Thursday, however.
There was “a lot of supply” of RATs, with 9.3 million tests on hand and 8.8 million dispatched in the past week, Old said.
562 people are in hospital, with 11 in intensive care.
He said a further 100 million were coming.
Despite the supply, he said, “if you don’t need to get tested, then don’t get tested”.
Andrew Old says people should only collect free tests if they’re symptomatic or are a household contact.
He said health authorities “need everybody to be playing their part”.
That meant doing the right thing and keeping free RATs for people who were household contacts or were symptomatic, Old said.
“I really encourage people not to take advantage of the system.”
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