The increasing number of cases and hospitalisations is a reminder of the importance getting vaccinated and boosted. Being boosted greatly reduces the chances you will get severely ill and require hospital care if you get COVID-19.
Boosters offer a high level of protection against Omicron, so if it has been three months or more since your second dose of the vaccine, please get your booster.
Yesterday, there were 15,195 booster doses administered. If you’re out and about, remember to wear a mask. Masks reduce the risk of a person both catching and spreading the virus.
The Ministry is also seeing reports of people who are symptomatic that are testing negative for COVID-19 in their initial test but later returning a positve test.