Wellington, July 27 (BNA) New Zealand’s government said on Wednesday that new cases of the novel coronavirus are trending downward and the country appears likely to avoid a frightening worst-case scenario of 20,000 infections a day.
In the past seven days, there were an average of 8,111 new cases of COVID per day, down from the seven-day rolling average of 9,367 new cases the previous week, according to Health Ministry data released Wednesday. The data showed that 808 people in hospital were infected with the coronavirus, which is also a lower number than previously, Reuters reported.
Case rates are trending downward, said Ashley Bloomfield, director general of health, and the shift was supported by sewage testing and a drop in the number of people who tested positive when they arrived at hospital.
“What is clear is that the worst-case scenario that our designers suggested two weeks ago with up to 1,200 beds occupied and more than 20,000 cases per day is highly unlikely now. And I’m sure we all are relieved to see Bloomfield said.
The Omicron BA.5 subvariable is driving the current wave in New Zealand, which has a population of 5.1 million people. There have been 56,750 active cases in the past seven days, although authorities say many infections have gone unreported.
New Zealand’s rapid response to the pandemic and its geographic isolation were seen as a model for preventing COVID infection, yet they kept it largely free of the virus until the end of last year.
New Zealand has recorded a total of about 1.6 million infections and 1,427 deaths, according to the latest data. The deaths are about a third lower than previous figures as the department changed how it classifies virus-related deaths.
Under the new classification, deaths will be recorded as COVID-related if they are attributable to the virus, rather than dying within 28 days of testing for the virus.
New Zealand closed its borders in early 2020 as the coronavirus was spreading across the world and imposed lockdowns and strict social distancing to keep infections low.
It began reopening its borders in February and the latest restrictions will be lifted at the end of this month.
The press conference was the last for Bloomfield in this role. The Director-General, who has led New Zealand’s response to Covid, resigned from his position on Friday.
MI