New Zealand reports 4 more cases of Omicron variant at border

WELLINGTON, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand has identified four more COVID-19 cases of Omicron variant among recent international arrivals, taking the total in the country to eight, said New Zealand's Ministry of Health in a statement on Saturday.

All infected are isolated in the border quarantine facilities, said the statement, adding that New Zealand has reported 49 new cases of COVID-19.

Of the 49 new cases, 39 were community cases across New Zealand, and 10 were imported cases, said the ministry.

Among the new community infections, 25 were recorded in the largest city of Auckland, 11 in Bay of Plenty, two in the Lakes region, and one in Taranaki, the ministry said.

The total case number of COVID-19 in the current Delta variant outbreak in the community has reached 10,168, mainly in Auckland and peripheral regions, it added.

There were 49 COVID-19 patients in New Zealand hospitals, it said.

New Zealand recorded 12,996 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, said the ministry, noting that 90 percent of the eligible population have fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Under the country's "traffic light" COVID-19 Protection Framework, the largest city Auckland and part of the North Island are at red settings, with the rest of the country at orange settings.