Ella Bates-Hermans/Stuff
Canterbury recorded 2579 in the last seven-day period reported by officials, up from 1850 the week before.
Hospitalisations and deaths from Covid-19 in Canterbury are expected to increase because of rapidly rising case numbers, local health officials say.
The warning was published on Thursday in a fortnightly update from Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand Waitaha Canterbury, formerly the Canterbury District Health Board.
“Community cases are now rising rapidly again,” the update said.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health confirmed there had been 2579 new cases in the previous week, up from 1850 the week before and 1637 the week before that.
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Canterbury now has 2575 active cases of Covid-19, the second-highest number for a region behind Waitemata, which has 2769.
The update said Covid-19 was also becoming more prevalent during inpatient testing at Christchurch Hospital and in wastewater testing.
New subvariants of Omicron were partly driving the new cases, but waning vaccination protection and changing behaviours, like reduced mask wearing, were also factors, the update said.
It added: “It is still uncertain what impact these new variants will have. However, cases, hospitalisations and deaths are expected to increase.”
ALDEN WILLIAMS/Stuff
Covid-19 is becoming more prevalent in inpatient testing at Christchurch Hospital.
The rising case numbers are being seen nationally too.
The Ministry of Health, which now reports cases weekly, last provided an update on Monday. That confirmed 20,522 new cases in the past seven days, which was up from 16,399 from the week prior.
Nationwide, 323 people were in hospital with Covid-19 nationwide as of that October 31 update.
The ministry said that number was higher than previously modelled.
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The ministry’s explanation for that increase was the same as that outlined by Canterbury health officials: new Omicron subvariants, waning vaccination protection, and peoples changing behaviour.
Amid these new cases, officials are seeing several Omicron variants. Previous Covid-19 waves were predominantly driven by one variant or subvariant.
The World Health Organisation is tracking more than 300 Omicron subvariants worldwide.
Officials are keeping a close eye on two variants that can spread quickly, BQ.1.1 and XBB. Both were recently detected here.
The true number of Covid-19 cases could be 45% higher than official numbers, RNZ reported on Thursday.
Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) science leader Dr Brent Gilpin told RNZ the officials numbers did not include everyone infected. This was because some people either do not test or when they do, they do not report the result to authorities.
ESR, which undertake wastewater testing across the country for Covid-19, said cases detected through wastewater had been steadily creeping up since September.
“We are seeing some new strains coming through,” he said.
