The person had been receiving palliative care before testing positive for Covid-19, the Southern District Health Board confirmed yesterday.
SDHB community services general manager Glenn Symon said yesterday most residents of a Dunedin aged residential care facility who had tested positive for Covid-19 remained relatively well, despite having the virus.
There were no reports of residents or patients at other such facilities in the southern region having tested positive for Covid-19, but some staff had, he said.
"As Covid-19 has been circulating in our community for several weeks, it is natural that we are now seeing confirmed cases in the workforce, and at facilities," Mr Symon said.
The South has had particularly high numbers of young people contracting Covid-19.
The region had 637 new community cases reported yesterday, up from 615 the previous day.
Nationally, there were 22,527 new community cases — a slight dip on the 23,183 the previous day — and there were 562 patients with Covid-19 in hospital, 11 in intensive care.
The Dunedin death was one of five the Ministry of Health reported yesterday from people who had tested positive for Covid-19, and all had unrelated medical conditions.
Among businesses affected by a staffing shortage was the BNZ.
The bank closed its Dunedin Central branch yesterday due to Covid-19 and is to reopen next Wednesday. Customers were advised to do their banking online and phone if needed.
Rapid antigen tests have become a crucial tool in New Zealand’s response to the virus.
More than one million Rats have arrived in Foodstuffs distribution centres for sale at supermarkets. Foodstuffs said it was also providing them at cost to more than 250 businesses.
"We’ve had great support from our supplier partners throughout the pandemic and believe this will enable our industry to play its part in supporting New Zealand through peak Omicron," managing director Chris Quin said.
Rat kits were also being sent to charities.
