Covid rampant in Dunedin

Professor Michael Baker. Photo: supplied

Covid-19 is sweeping through young people in the South and its reach into more vulnerable demographics looms.

Active cases in Dunedin have swelled past 1500 - many of them are students.

In Otago and Southland, almost half of current cases are girls or women aged 10-29.

The same age categories, for boys and men, account for 35% of cases in the region.

University of Otago epidemiologist Prof Michael Baker said the virus was spreading most quickly through younger, socially active people and it would inevitably spill over into other age groups and from schoolchildren to parents.

Hospitals in the South were yet to have an influx in cases.

Two patients were admitted to Dunedin Hospital with Covid-19 symptoms and another was transferred there from Southland Hospital, the Southern District Health Board said yesterday.

None was in intensive care.

Nationally, new case numbers of community transmission near doubled to exceed 12,000, reflecting spread of the omicron variant, as well as combined use of PCR and rapid antigen tests.

Five further deaths were linked to the virus.

The Southern region had 867 new cases, compared with the Ministry of Health’s figure of 595 for the previous day.

Prof Baker said the timing of booster vaccines could work in New Zealand’s favour.

Older people had higher levels of getting the booster shot and their peak immunity could coincide with about the right time, likely to keep more people out of hospital.

Meanwhile, the Government has been under pressure to ensure the country has sufficient supply of rapid antigen tests (Rats), which have become a more necessary part of the health response amid rapid spread of the virus.

Ten million Rats would arrive this weekend, Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall said.

"We have orders in place for 180 million Rats over the next six months," she said.

Antidote Pharmacy owner Chin Loh, of Dunedin, said he expected the 10million Rats to be quickly swallowed up by schools, hospitals and rest-homes.

Rats are still not available for general retail, although that is set to change next month.

Frustration about lack of access has simmered, as some people want to do such things as visit older relatives after receiving the reassurance of a negative test result.

Roslyn Pharmacy director Andrew Hou said many people wanted to do what they could for the country’s public health, but there was little pharmacists could say to be of help.

"We like to do our best for people," he said. "We’ve had constant phone calls."

Countdown pharmacist Peter Barron was frustrated about some people not following isolation rules.

People asked to isolate were supposed to stay at home.