SDHB COVID-19 Daily Update 28 April 2022

Covid-19 Southern DHB Situation Update 

COVID-19 is prevalent throughout the Southern region with numbers continuing to be around 1000 per day.  Our district has entered the “long tail” of COVID-19 and, as we enter the cooler months, it is more important than ever that we remain vigilante and follow the simple public health guidelines that we all now know: wear a mask correctly, test if you have symptoms, and stay home until you receive a negative test result or are a household contact of a confirmed case.  

COVID-19 hospitalisations remain high across the Southern district as the virus has spread into our older population. Those over the age of 65 have a higher chance of complications as a result of COVID-19 infection and thus a higher likelihood of requiring hospitalisation. The Southern DHB encourages anyone in this age group to get boosted if they have not yet done so. A booster dose is your best defence against COVID-19 hospitalisation.  

Now is also a good time to get your annual flu inoculation. Many people end up in hospital because of seasonal flu and it is now more important than ever that we keep the stress off our hospitals by doing all we can to stay healthy and well. Flu vaccinations are free for many people across New Zealand. If you qualify for a free flu shot, please get yours today.      

Hospitalisation figures 

Current hospitalisations as at 8am 28 April 2022  

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.   

The Ministry of Health total figures for Southern for the previous 24 hours are: 

• 1065 new positive cases  

• 6688 (not recovered from last 7 days)  

Current cases as of 11.59pm 27 April 2022  

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.