Coronavirus crisis: Auckland reopens as NZ suffers COVID death

New Zealand has suffered a fresh COVID-19 death as Auckland records a major vaccination milestone.

A patient at Tauranga Hospital with COVID-19 has died, taking New Zealand’s pandemic death toll to 47.

Health officials also confirmed another 74 community cases on Wednesday, including 56 in Auckland.

The virus is spreading in regional centres, with nine cases in the Waikato, seven in Tauranga and 15 in the Taranaki township of Eltham to be added to the tally tomorrow.

Further regional spread is expected in the coming days as the border around Auckland comes down, allowing free travel in and out of New Zealand’s biggest city.

It is the first time since August many Aucklanders have been allowed to leave their city, prompting a wave of family reunions across New Zealand.

While travel is restricted to those who are vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19, public health experts say it is inevitable the virus will be seeded around NZ given the ongoing community transmission among Aucklanders.

Counteracting the spread is the vaccination rollout, which has seen 89 per cent of Kiwis aged over 12 fully vaccinated.

Rates in Auckland are even higher - with 92 per cent double-dosed with the Pfizer vaccine.

Reflecting a major milestone, all three of Auckland’s health districts have now reached 90 per cent, a key benchmark established by the government.

The latest to hit 90 per cent is Counties Manukau, the city’s southern region home to many of New Zealand’s most disadvantaged communities, including strong Maori and Pacific populations.