Another day of sub-1000 new cases for the South

There are 900 fresh cases of Covid-19 in Southern region, as the number of new cases reported stays below 1,000 for the third day running.

Last week, local health officials said the lower South Island was experiencing the latest outbreak's "long-tail", with the number of new cases stubbornly topping 1,000.

Yesterday, 947 new cases were reported, and on Monday, 784.

In its daily media update, the Southern District Health Board says 62 of today's new cases are in Central Otago and 103, in Queenstown Lakes.

The region's seven-day total of active cases is 5,987.

Thirty people in hospital in the Southern region have Covid-19 - 24 in Dunedin and six in Invercargill - two fewer than reported yesterday.

Earlier today, the Ministry of Health reported 24 further deaths related to the virus.

The deaths include a child under 10 years old and another young person between the ages of 10 and 19.

Two of the deaths were in the Southern region.

Twelve are people who died over the past three days, while the additional 12 people died since 5 March.

Current hospitalisations as at 8am, May 4, 2022 (Source SDHB) 

Please note that hospitalisation data does not differentiate between patients admitted because of Covid-19 infection versus those admitted for a separate reason who happen to also have Covid-19. Hospital numbers reported by the Southern DHB include those in mental health wards.   

Current cases as of 11.59pm, May 3, 2022 (Source SDHB) 

Please note, the Ministry of Health’s daily reported cases may differ slightly from those reported at a DHB or local public health unit level. This is because of different reporting cut off times and the assignment of cases between regions, for example when a case is tested outside their usual region of residence. Total numbers will always be the formal daily case tally as reported to the WHO. Due to the increased use of RATs and system lag issues there may be a discrepancy in the number of total active cases from the territorial authority breakdown. A decision has been made nationally that areas with less than 5 new cases per 24-hour period will be reported as “<5”. All territorial authorities with less than 100 cases will have their case numbers rounded to the nearest 5. We are unable to supply further information. Please contact the Ministry of Health directly for more information about these decisions.  

Covid-19 in the South - What you need to know:

• Please only get tested if you have symptoms or are a household contact of a confirmed case.
• Testing locations can be found on the WellSouth website.
• If you test positive on a RAT test you do not need to have that confirmed by PCR – you are a case. Please update your My Covid Record with your result. Call 0800 222 478, option 3, if you need any support to do this.
• If you receive a text notification that you are positive, please do the online survey in the link you receive in the text message as soon as possible. This will ensure you can receive the appropriate care and support when you need it. Please be aware that, after filling in your My Covid Record with your positive RAT result, there can be a 24-hour delay before you receive this text message. 
• Prepare now to self-isolate if you or a family member or housemate tests positive.
• If you are self-isolating and require welfare support such as help getting groceries, please call 0800 512 337.
• If you have concerns about Covid-19 symptoms, call your general practice or Healthline on 0800 358 5453 at any time. If you are very unwell or having breathing difficulties, call 111 immediately.