There are 15,250 new community cases of Covid-19 today and 22 deaths related to the virus. 

Director general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced the latest Covid-19 figures at a press conference this afternoon. 

The 22 deaths take the total number of publicly reported Covid-related fatalities to 338. 

Of the people who have died, one was from Northland, 10 were from the Auckland region, one was from Waikato, two were from Bay of Plenty, two were from the Lakes DHB, two were from the Wellington region and four were from Canterbury. 

Two people who died were in their 50s, four people were in their 60s, three people were in their 70s, six in their 80s and seven were aged over 90. 

There were 15 women who died and seven men. 

The deaths being reported today include people who have died over the past four weeks but were only recently notified to the Ministry of Health. Delays to reporting can be associated with people dying with rather than of Covid-19 and Covid being discovered only after they have died, the MoH statement said. 

There are 830 people in hospital and 26 in intensive care. 

There are 2708 new cases to report in Auckland, 662 in Northland, 1352 in Waikato, 825 in Bay of Plenty, 348 in Lakes, 917 in Hawke's Bay, 812 in MidCentral, 360 in Whanganui, 608 in Taranaki, 201 in Tairāwhiti, 146 in Wairarapa, 1009 in Capital and Coast, 587 in Hutt Valley, 729 in Nelson Marlborough, 2379 in Canterbury, 305 in South Canterbury, 1212 in Southern and 77 in West Coast. 

The locations of 13 cases are unknown. 

Wednesday also showed a continued slow decline in hospitalisations, with 817 people in hospital with the virus, including 24 in intensive care. 

Meanwhile, Bloomfield said the first oral antiviral Paxlovid has arrived in the country and will be ready to be prescribed in primary care next week. 

Yesterday's numbers also showed a continued decline in cases in Auckland, with the focus shifting to the South Island. 

The DHBs with the most active cases are Canterbury (17,456), Waikato (9590), Southern (8336) and Waitematā (7291). 

On Monday, Cabinet will be deciding whether to shift the country - or select regions - from red to orange settings, which will increase the number of people who can gather indoors. 

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said at a press conference yesterday he was yet to have "a firm leaning" for Monday's review of traffic light settings. 

"We'll be following closely the public health advice we get over the weekend." 

The main difference between red and orange was the size of indoor gatherings, he said. There is no limit under orange. 

"The main thing we're all looking for is where we're at in terms of the overall peak." 

In some parts of the country, case numbers were continuing to trend up, he said. 

He wouldn't be drawn on Auckland's chances of moving to orange, having already passed its Omicron peak. 

But he did confirm the traffic light system allowed for the possibility of different regions to be in different settings. 

Meanwhile, this morning the Government announced new antiviral medications would soon be available for at-risk patients. 

Doctors can start prescribing Paxlovid from next week, but the criteria for the pill is aimed at those more likely to get sicker from Covid such as those who are immunocompromised or had things like chronic respiratory conditions and diabetes.