New Zealand reports 142 new community cases of COVID-19

Wellington [New Zealand], February 2 (ANI/Xinhua): New Zealand recorded 142 new community cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the Ministry of Health said in a statement. Among the new community infections, 103 are in the largest city Auckland, 12 in nearby Waikato, five in Bay of Plenty, two in the Lakes Region, and 11 in Northland, according to the ministry. In addition, 54 new cases were detected at the New Zealand border, said the ministry. Six COVID-19 patients are currently being treated in New Zealand hospitals, with none in the intensive care unit. The country has recorded 16,442 cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, including 12,274 cases from the current community outbreak, said the ministry. To date, about 94 per cent of the eligible people in New Zealand are fully vaccinated with at least two doses, the ministry said, adding that more than 1.36 million boosters, or the third doses, have been administered. Nearly 178,000 children in the 5-to-11-year-old group have received their first dose. The ministry urges everyone in New Zealand to act as the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is transmitting in the community. People are encouraged to wear a mask, keep a physical distance from each other, and use the contact tracing app when going outdoors. Also on Wednesday, the government decided to reduce the interval between a person's primary vaccination course and the booster from four months to three months. (ANI/Xinhua)

( With inputs from ANI )

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