Plans are in place to deal with Northland Covid-19 patients over the holiday period, when cases are expected to rise further.

Alex Pimm, interim director provider services at Te Whatu Ora – Te Tai Tokerau (formerly the Northland District Health Board) said it would be business as usual for hospitals.

“All of our hospitals’ wards remain open and staffed over the Christmas and New Year period. We have plans in place to care for people who need acute hospital care, including patients admitted to our hospitals with Covid-19.”

Pimm asked all patients and their whānau to wear a mask while in Northland’s hospitals.

Anyone who is unwell should complete a rapid antigen test (RAT), record their result online at mycovidrecord.health.nz and isolate for seven days if the result is positive, he added.

There were 1328 new cases of Covid-19 in Northland reported by the Ministry of Health in the week to Monday, December 19. There were 42,740 new cases across the country.

The seven-day rolling average on Monday was 190, the highest it had been since the end of July. The highest was 643 on March 12, according to ministry data.

Cases have been rising across the country since September when the seven-day rolling average was just over 1000 across the country. It is now 6099.

There were 16 people in hospital in Northland with Covid-19 yesterday and 581 nationally as of midnight Sunday.

Epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker expected 85,000 people in New Zealand are likely to be in isolation on Christmas Day with Covid-19, with about 12,000 new infections on Christmas Day.

“We’re sitting at the peak of a relatively decent-sized wave at the moment, so definitely lots of people will end up missing Christmas because they’re a confirmed case and will have to isolate,” he told RNZ.

Baker advised testing before gatherings and holding them outdoors or in well-ventilated spaces.

Reported cases could decrease, he added, but that would not necessarily mean the Covid wave was over, as people were less likely to report a positive test while on holiday.

Pimm encouraged people to seek medical help early if needed.

“You should always go to the nearest hospital emergency department, or call 111, for life-threatening medical emergencies including: chest pain, head injuries, severe blood loss, major accidents.

“If unwell or injured and it’s not urgent, please contact your family doctor, or call Healthline on 0800 611 116, or visit an urgent care clinic. You can find a local clinic by visiting Healthpoint.”