The Director of Public Health Dr Caroline McElnay will today host a media briefing to provide updates on the response to the Omicron outbreak.

Dr McElnay will be joined via Zoom by Dr Joe Bourne, the Ministry's lead for Care in the Community, from 1pm.

Tune into the livestream above to see what they have to say.

On Monday, the Ministry of Health reporting 12,882 community cases, 861 hospitalisations and 11 deaths.

There was 662 new cases In the Bay of Plenty and 360 cases in the Lakes district.

The Ministry reported 40 people in hospital with the virus in the Bay of Plenty.

"The Ministry of Health continues to encourage people to be up to date with their vaccinations – including being boosted as the booster restores vaccine effectiveness for Omicron to 90 per cent after it declines following your second dose," says a spokesperson for the health organisation.

"Our best protection both for ourselves, and for our whānau, especially as we look towards Easter weekend gatherings, is to be up-to-date with vaccinations – which includes a booster. Often those at the greatest risk of becoming sick with Covid-19 are older family members and those with comorbidities such as asthma, diabetes, and other long-term conditions."