The New Zealand government has announced free masks and rapid antigen tests as it tries to stem the spread of Covid-19 and relieve pressure on the country's health system.
The health system is dealing with an influx of Covid and influenza patients. There has been a significant jump in the number of new Covid cases in New Zealand in recent weeks and authorities are forecasting that this wave of Omicron might be worst than the first.
The hospital system is already struggling with increases in wait times and surgeries having to be cancelled. "There's no question the combination of a spike in Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations, the worst flu season in recent memory and corresponding staff absences are putting health workers and the whole health system under extreme pressure," Minister for Covid-19 Response Ayesha Verrall said in a statement.
New Zealand, which has a population of 5.1 million, recorded 11,382 new cases of Covid today, with a total of 68,737 currently infected with the virus.