Wellington
New Zealand has reported 45 new Covid-19 cases in the community on Thursday, including 34 new Omicron infections, taking its current community outbreak tally to 11,601, according to the Ministry of Health. Among the new infections, 22 were recorded in Auckland, two in nearby Waikato, three in Bay of Plenty, seven in the Lakes region, one in Taranaki, eight in Hawke's Bay, and two in Nelson, according to the ministry.
A total of five cases are being treated in hospitals, with one case in intensive care unit. The country has recorded 15,466 cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, it said. The New Zealand government on Wednesday announced a three-phase plan that aims to slow down and curb the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 in the country.