Covid 19 Omicron Epidemic: Update Today’s Case as Long Tail Hospitalization Continues

Covid-19 cases continue to decline, but the number of hospitalizations remains high as medical personnel treat hundreds of people with the virus in wards across the country.

The Ministry of Health will provide information at 1 p.m.

Yesterday, the community had 11,634 new Covid-19 cases and 13 deaths.

Three of those who lost their lives were in their 30s and two were in their 50s.

Hospitalizations have shrunk slightly: 639 people now need hospital care, but experts have warned that many infected people will fill the wards for most of April.

University of Canterbury professor Michael Planck said the steady decline in cases was “good news”, but the decline was gradual and there were still relatively large numbers of people in hospitals.

“Roughly speaking, our number of cases and hospitalizations is declining by about 15-20 percent a week. It’s been a pretty consistent picture, and I expect that trend to continue over the next few weeks.”

Health Director-General Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the number of hospitalizations in the northern region was declining, albeit slowly, and there were still quite a few people in the wards.

He said they were declining, but had a long tail of hospitalization.

Planck said the cases will have a long tail, which means the decline in cases will be slower than the increase in cases before the peak.

“While it did take us four weeks to move from very low levels to peak cases, it will take longer to decline, and at some point it will probably come to a plateau at a relatively stable level.”

Bloomfield said the weekly case rate fell last week from 22.5 cases per thousand last week to 18.5 cases per thousand this week.

He said the number of cases is now declining in all regions and this will be included in the next public health risk assessment next Monday before the next inspection of traffic lights by the government on April 14.

Earlier this week, the government called continued pressure on the hospital network one of the key reasons for not setting up Covid protection settings and easing restrictions around indoor meetings.

It came a week later when three of the country’s top health officials announced their retirement.

Yesterday was the last day of Dr. Caroline McElney as Director of Health of the Department of Health.

Her retirement after the Bloomfield news will also leave her role in late July.

Today also leaves the Deputy Director of Health Dr. Niki Stefanogianis.

Meanwhile, a new study conducted by Unite Against Covid-19 from March 11 to 18 shows that two years after the pandemic, the vast majority of New Zealanders were still following public health measures.

Bloomfield said 76 percent of people said they stay home when they feel unwell, and the same percentage of people said they isolated themselves if they had symptoms of Covid-19 or were waiting for a test result.