No new cases for Hawke’s Bay. For New Zealand our lowest increase in Covid-19 cases since 18 March, and all 8 connected to extant clusters, yet the largest number of tests done, including a random sample of 300 at a Queenstown supermarket. But two deaths new deaths, sadly.
In other covid health news, the latest modelling from research institute Te Pūnaha Matatini, estimates that Māori and Pasifika populations would be disproportionately impacted by the spread of Covid-19, with case fatality rates more than twice that of Pākehā (RNZ has summarised the research in this report). And the Hawke’s Bay DHB reveals it has created an entire Covid-19 hospital within the hospital itself. You can read more on this in Bridget Freeman-Rock’s BayBuzz piece Behind the Lines of ED.
Hawke’s Bay Covid-19 Case Numbers
| 17 April | Hastings | Napier | CHB | Wairoa | Total |
| New cases | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total cases | 14 | 24 | 0 | 3 | 41 |
| Hospitalisations | 0 | ||||
| Recovered | 7 | 10 | 1 | 18 | |
| Number of tests in HB | 2,625
(as of 16 Apr) |
| 17 April | New Zealand | Global |
| New cases | 8
(4,241 tested) | 96,600 |
| Total cases | 1,409
(74,401 tests) | 2.16 million |
| Hospitalisations | 14
(3 in ICU) | |
| Deaths | 11 | 144,000 |
| Recovered | 816 | 544,000 |
Source: Ministry of Health, Hawke’s Bay DHB, and John Hopkins University.
Why was my local New World supermarket in Havelock North closed for two days over easter in order to cater to the religeous fundamentalists. There are thousands of locals unemployed who would have welcomed working, and the result was even higher demand and longer queues in the days around easter.