September 23, 2021
Vaccination target lifted as case numbers drop
There are 15 new community cases of Covid-19, all in Auckland.
Most of today’s community cases are household contacts of current cases, but three are still not linked to other cases.
Mount Wellington has been added as a suburb of interest, with a testing station set up at Mount Smart Stadium.
New modelling released today suggests lockdowns may still be needed if the country achieves an 80 percent vaccination rate.
Covid-19 modeller Shaun Hendy says population immunity was probably out of reach through vaccination alone because Delta was so transmissible.
He said additional health measures including vaccine certificate, masks and better ventilation would continue to be needed.
He said an 80 percent rate on its own could deliver 60,000 hospitalisations in a one year period, 7000 fatalities, and a health sector not able to cope.
But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern told today’s media conference getting a higher vaccination rate was key to future plans, which include continuing to aggressively isolate cases, catch cases at the border, and ensure the health system is not overwhelmed.