Today we are reporting 6,636 community cases, 480 hospitalisations and seven deaths. Today’s seven-day rolling average of case numbers is 7,553 – last Monday it was 8,355.
Border case with Omicron BA.4 variant A second person who has travelled from overseas to New Zealand has been confirmed as having the BA.4 variant of Omicron.
Both identified cases are currently isolating at their homes. BA.4 has been reported in southern Africa and Europe, and in New South Wales.
The arrival of this sub-variant in New Zealand is not unexpected. At this stage, the public health settings already in place to manage other Omicron variants are assessed to be appropriate for managing BA.4 and no changes are required.