Covid-19: Three southern deaths among today's tally

There are 721 new cases of Covid-19 reported in the Southern region today, with 52 of them in Central Otago and 95 in Queenstown Lakes.

The Southern District Health Board says it brings the total number of active cases in the last week in the South to 5,657.

There are 31 people in hospital with the virus in the region - 20 in Dunedin, nine in Invercargill, one in Dunstan and one in Maniototo.

Across the country, there are 7,347 new cases of Covid-19 in the community and 24 further deaths, according to the Ministry of Health's daily update.

Three of the reported deaths are from the Southern region.

There are 363 people in hospitals throughout the country with Covid-19, down from 386 yesterday, with 18 people in ICU, up from 14 yesterday.

The seven-day rolling average of community case numbers is 7555 - slightly up from 7540 last week.

There are also 79 cases reported at the border today.

Current hospitalisations as at 8am, May 6, 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 5, 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.