The Ministry of Health is reporting 9,495 new community cases of the virus and 15 Covid-19 related deaths. This comes as the government decides to move the country into the Orange Traffic Light setting at 11:59pm tonight.
Of the deaths, which occurred over the past eight days, eight were female and seven were female. One person was aged in their 40s, two in their 50s, two in their 60s, four in their 70s, five in their 80s, and one over 90. Of these, one was from Northland, four from Auckland, one each from Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Lakes, two from Mid Central, three from Nelson-Marlborough, and two from Canterbury.
The seven-day rolling average for deaths is now at 13 and the total number of deaths is at 531.
For new cases, the seven-day rolling average is now at 9,288, compared to last Wednesday's 12,307.
Of today's new cases, there are 455 in Northland, 1,828 in Auckland, 718 in Waikato, 421 in Bay of Plenty, 176 in Lakes, 355 in Hawke's Bay, 461 in Mid Central, 181 in Whanganui, 288 in Taranaki, 84 in Tai Rāwhiti, 109 in Wairarapa, 607 in Capital and Coast, 375 in Hutt Valley, 307 in Nelson-Marlborough, 1,670 in Canterbury, 208 in South Canterbury, 1,148 in Southern and 94 in West Coast DHBs. Just ten cases are of unknown location.
Some 47 cases were also detected at the border, and the total of active community cases now sits at 64,997.
Hospitalisations have declined down to 551 today, with all three Auckland DHBs reporting less than 100 hospitalisations each.
Of these, 31 are in Northland, 91 in Waitematā, 92 Counties Manukau, 80 in Auckland, 57 in Waikato, 24 in Bay of Plenty, four in Lakes, two in Tairāwhiti, 12 in Hawke's Bay, 12 in Taranaki, five in Whanganui, 19 in Mid Central, 26 in Hutt Valley, 14 in Capital & Coast, one in Wairarapa, 10 in Nelson-Marlborough, 38 in Canterbury, six in South Canterbury, one in West Coast and 26 in Southern hospitals. Some 27 people are in ICU.
There were also 52 first doses, 166 second doses, 26 third primary doses, 1,708 booster doses, 66 paediatric first doses and 752 paediatric second doses administered yesterday.