New Zealand Covid spike: 7,800 cases today, over 48,000 in 7 days

The island nation of New Zealand on Thursday reported over 7,800 fresh cases of the coronavirus – as against 8,812 on the previous day – per data shared on the country’s health ministry website. Thirteen Covid-related deaths were reported in the past 24 hours.

Of the 7,870 cases reported in 24 hours, nearly 400 are hospitalised patients. Eight are in various intensive care units (ICU). The health ministry also provided information on the dead – four were in their 60s, one in the 70s, five in the 80s, and three were over 90.

In the last seven days, New Zealand – whose population is less than 50 lakh – has reported over 48,300 cases. Mid-March it was reporting nearly 15,000 per day.

At present the number of active cases in New Zealand hovers above the 48,500-mark.

New Zealand has reported nearly 12 lakh cases since the pandemic hit.

On the vaccination front – nearly four lakh received the second dose on Wednesday and around 32,000 were administered their booster, or precautionary, doses.

Elsewhere in the world, North Korea reported 96,610 more people showing ‘fever symptoms’ amid a nationwide lockdown aimed at containing the outbreak in the impoverished country.

Cases in South America rose 43.1 per cent in comparison to last week’s figures, news agency Reuters reported. Meanwhile, Shanghai reported eight new asymptomatic coronavirus cases for June 1 and five new symptomatic cases as per Reuters’ report.