The Ministry of Health is today publishing improved information about the impact of COVID-19 on New Zealanders, including hospitalisations and reinfection.
Our response to both the current and any future outbreaks depends on a strong understanding of the burden on COVID-19 on our communities, especially when infection leads to severe illness.
Over recent weeks, the Ministry has been working on expanding what we know about hospitalisation where COVID-19 is an underlying or contributing factor, and clearly distinguishing this from when a person with COVID-19 may have been hospitalised for non-COVI-19 reasons.
This improved information has been published today. It shows us that, as of 7 July, 8,490 people have been hospitalised from COVID-19, including 305 that have required intensive care.