COVID update – 204 new Hawkesbury cases, 1684 active – Chant says, “we will be adjusting the data”

Welcome to Monday evening and the daily update of COVID numbers across our region.

Once again, it’s the deadliest day in NSW so far in this pandemic with 18 deaths due to COVID – none in the Hawkesbury – up from 16 deaths yesterday.

There are 3 residents confirmed COVID-positive at Richmond’s Hawkesbury Living, according to updates given to relatives, but 2 of those affected in the March St home are not showing any symptoms, and the other is apparently doing well.

Meanwhile, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant confirmed today that of the recent COVID deaths among young people, at least one person had the Omicron strain.

She also said, “I don’t have the line by line listing of all the Omicron deaths in NSW but that may not be the priority for us at this time.”

This is the first time since December 26 that NSW Health has reported on Omicron deaths.

We were under the impression that since December 7 in NSW there had been 112 Delta COVID deaths and 1 Omicron COVID death (2 Omicron now) but as NSW Health aren’t giving us the finer details, there could be more deaths due to Omicron.

This is important information they are withholding – with their herd immunity strategy based on Omicron ‘being mild’.

Dr Chant also said today: “We will be adjusting the data and will look at how we present this data to not include people who were end of life or had comorbidities and died from COVID-19.”

In other words, anyone with underlying health conditions or over a certain age (over 70?) who die from COVID won’t be included in the stats? That’s what it’s looking like.

As our man with the figures, Kevin Pollard, points out, “Having a compromised immune system doesn’t make anyone’s life less valuable than anyone else’s. All lives matter.”

For the sixth day in a row, NSW Health has not listed the vaccination status of those that have died or if they had underlying health issues but other health districts and journalists have. That’s maybe a sign more people without any health issues or no significant health issues have passed away despite being fully vaccinated, but it’s hard to say for sure, given the paucity of that information.

Thanks to Kevin Pollard who has once again crunched the day’s COVID numbers so we’ve got an excellent overview here of the Hawkesbury situation, and further afield too, giving our readers a detailed picture.

Today’s Hawkesbury headlines and numbers:

*204 new COVID cases recorded in the Hawkesbury today after 236, 208, 165, 159, 222 new cases on previous days.

* There are 1684 active COVID cases in the Hawkesbury (was 1525 yesterday)

* Of the 20,293 new NSW COVID cases (30,062, 45,098, 38,625, 34,994 cases on previous days) in NSW reported to 8pm, Sunday, January 9 – 1268 are from the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, which includes the Hawkesbury.

* The Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains and Lithgow LGAs represented 39% of all cases in the Nepean Blue Mountains LHD today after 34% yesterday. It’s normally 10-20% each day so we’re part way through a significant wave (reported and unreported cases) in this part of Sydney. Until two weeks ago, these LGAs weren’t that badly affected by COVID compared to the rest of Greater Sydney.

 

New Hawkesbury COVID cases in the last 24 hours and postcodes they are in:

* 84 in the 2756 postcode (Windsor, Sackville, Wilberforce, Bligh Park, Clarendon, Ebenezer, Mulgrave, Pitt Town, South Windsor, Freemans Reach, McGraths Hill, Upper Colo, Central Colo, Colo Heights, Lower Portland, Glossodia)

* 62 in the 2753 postcode (Richmond, Richmond Lowlands, Londonderry, Grose Vale, Grose Wold, Bowen Mountain, Hobartville, Yarramundi, Agnes Banks)

* 36 in the 2754 postcode (North Richmond, Tennyson, The Slopes)

* 17 in the 2758 postcode (Bilpin, East Kurrajong, Kurrajong, Kurrajong Heights, Kurrajong Hills, Mountain Lagoon, Wheeny Creek, Mount Tomah, Berambing, Blaxlands Ridge, Devils Wilderness)

* 3 in the 2757 postcode (Kurmond)

* 2 in the 2775 postcode (Lower Macdonald, St Albans)

Total active COVID cases in the Hawkesbury as of 8pm January 9 – and postcodes they are in:

* 907 in the 2756 postcode (Windsor, Sackville, Wilberforce, etc) – was 839 yesterday

* 447 in the 2753 postcode (Richmond, Londonderry, Grose Vale, etc) – was 397 yesterday

* 167 in the 2758 postcode (Bilpin, East Kurrajong, etc) – was 157 yesterday

*150 in the 2754 postcode (North Richmond, Tennyson, The Slopes) – was 122 yesterday

* 18 in the 2775 postcode (Lower Macdonald, St Albans) – was 17 yesterday

* 11 in the 2757 postcode (Kurmond) – was 9 yesterday

Home and global headlines:

There were 84,333 COVID-19 processed tests to 8pm last night, compared with the previous days of 98,986, 116,915, 112,725, 111,231, 108,844 tests.

The positivity rate is down to 24.06% of the 84,333 COVID-19 tests proving positive (20,293).

The positivity rates were 30.37%, 38.57%, 34.26%, 31.46% on previous days.

Reported cases in NSW over the last 5 weeks have been approximately 85% Omicron and 15% of the far more dangerous Delta.

85% of all 325 people in ICU in Australia have Delta and 15% Omicron and for the 3542 in hospital in Australia it’s about 70% Delta and 30% Omicron. Most are aged over 18 in hospital and there are around 10 aged under 18 in ICU.

13 out of 159 people ICU in NSW have the Omicron variant.

2.3 million Australian children aged between 5 and 11 can roll up their sleeves from today and get their first COVID jab. There’s an 8-week gap between doses for kids.

Global data suggests 80% of children aged 5-11 years who receive 1 dose of a COVID vaccine will be protected against hospital admission.

NSW school students will face a rapid antigen testing regimen to keep them in the classroom, as the opening of Term One nears. A test-to-stay system will be implemented across NSW, which will see students exposed to COVID-19 take an RAT. The result can be uploaded online, meaning students who test negative can return to the classroom in short order.

Premier Perrottet again commits to getting primary and secondary school kids back in the classroom safely and on time.

QLD will delay its return to school by two weeks (February 7) as the state braces for its Omicron peak.

The first batch of 100 million RATs will be distributed to NSW essential public workers and vulnerable communities FOC from mid January with a further 50 million tests arriving between February and March.

CHO Dr Kerry Chant acknowledges the large amount of COVID cases unreported in NSW, as people are moving to rapid antigen tests.

Pharmacists have revealed major issues with the rollout of PM Morrison’s plan to provide free RATs to concession card holders. Pharmacists have revealed the government will not be providing any extra RATs directly to chemists. Instead, chemists will be asked to distribute existing stock for free before claiming the cost back from the government through a new system that is currently being built.

Australia passes 1 million recorded COVID pandemic cases (1,049,306) but it’s likely more than double that. On 23 November 2021 Australia had recorded 200,654 pandemic cases, so 80.9% of the total pandemic cases have come in the last 49 days.

Australia records a pandemic high 325 people in ICU – the previous high was 312 in ICU on 16 October 2021. There are 3542 patients in hospital in Australia, almost 2000 more than the Delta peak of 1551 in hospital on 28 September 2021.

The PM says Australia must ‘push through’ the Omicron wave and doesn’t accept the analysis that Australia is in the “let it rip phase”.

He also warned being unvaccinated is the “most likely way” Aussies will end up in hospital with COVID-19.

“The people who are predominately in hospital who have gone there because of COVID are unvaccinated,” he said today.

Figures show in NSW out of the 2030 in hospital – 69.7% are fully or triple vaccinated, 2.5% have had one dose and 27.8% are not vaccinated.

Current COVID cases in NSW hospitals, in ICU, and on a ventilator, and vaxx status:

In hospital: 2030 patients (was 1927, 1795, 1738, 1609, 1491 on previous days) – 69.7% fully or triple vaccinated, 2.5% one dose, 27.8% not vaccinated.

In ICU: 159 (151, 145, 134, 131, 119 on previous days) – 51.9% fully or triple vaccinated, 1.2% one dose, 46.9% not vaccinated.

On ventilators: 47 (38, 40, 33, 38, 32 on previous days) – 51.9% fully or triple vaccinated, 1.2% one dose, 46.9% not vaccinated.

There were 166 people in hospital 26 days ago – 2030 today.

There were 21 people in ICU 27 days ago – 159 today.

There were 7 on ventilator 26 days ago – 47 today.

COVID deaths 18 today – none in the Hawkesbury:

NSW recorded another pandemic high death toll of 18 today. 16 was the previous pandemic high yesterday, and 10, 11, 6 and 8 deaths on previous days.

18 deaths; six women, 11 men, and a child aged under five.

Of the 6 women and 11 men, 1 was aged in their 30s, 3 in their 60s, four in their 70s, seven in their 80s and aged in their 90s.

4 people were from south western Sydney, 3 people from western Sydney, 2 people from the Hunter region, 2 from southern Sydney, 2 from Sydney’s inner west, 1 from northern Sydney, 1 from Sydney’s inner city, 1 from eastern Sydney, 1 from the Riverina region, and 1 from Penrith.

The child from south western Sydney died at home and had significant underlying health conditions.

The man in his 30s from eastern Sydney died at Prince of Wales Hospital. He was unvaccinated and had moderate underlying health issues.

12 of the 18 were fully vaccinated, 5 were not vaccinated, 1 was not eligible as they were aged under 5.

The death of the child under 5 was reported in Kevin’s update two days ago. ‘One of the deaths was a 3 year old boy named Sebastian Moroney from Campbelltown in Sydney. He died of COVID at home three days ago. He had the chronic illness, Niemann-Pick and was disabled. One of his parents was exposed to the virus at work, despite the best attempts to keep Sebastian safe, he tested positive for COVID on December 23.’

There have been 691 COVID-related deaths in NSW since this Delta/Omicron outbreak started.

At least 44 of the 691 have died at home and 24 of them didn’t know they had COVID at the time of death.

177 of the 691 COVID-related deaths in NSW since 16 June 2021 were those that were fully vaccinated.

That means 514 either had one dose of a vaccine or none.

The 177 deaths among people fully vaccinated – 1 in their 20s, 6 in their 50s, 4 in their 60s, 55 in their 70s, 58 in their 80s, 45 in their 90s and 1 person in their 100s. *Four people in their 80s and three people in their 90s had received their booster shots.

The large majority of the people that were fully vaccinated and died of COVID had underlying health issues, over half had significant health issues, almost a quarter were in palliative care, many were elderly and in aged care facilities, some had disabilities.

NSW COVID vaccination status (of cases during Delta outbreak from June 16 until January 10, 2022).

Vaccination status numbers between June 16, 2021 and January 10, 2022 based on NSW Health Surveillance Reports to December 25 and cases since.

691 COVID deaths: 0.14% not eligible for vaccination as aged 0-11 years (1), 57.0% not vaccinated (394 people), 16.5% had received 1 dose (114 people), 25.6% were fully vaccinated (177 people), 1% were fully vaccinated with 3 doses ie triple vaccinated (7)

1833 in ICU: 1.1% not eligible for vaccination as aged 0-11 years, 64.4% not vaccinated, 4.2% had received 1 dose, 30.3% were fully vaccinated.

10,349 hospitalised: 4.8% not eligible for vaccination as aged 0-11 years, 41.6% not vaccinated, 3.8% had received 1 dose, 49.8% were fully vaccinated.

46,9971 cases: 18.9% not eligible for vaccination as aged 0-11 years, 12.0% not vaccinated, 4.2% had received 1 dose, 64.9% were fully vaccinated.

How we compare today:

NSW – 20,293 new cases, 292,237 active, 2,030 in hospital (+103) and 159 in ICU (+14) plus 18 deaths – 24.06% positive rate

VIC – 34,808 new cases (17,618 PCR and 17,190 RAT), 161,065 active, 818 in hospital (+66) and 118 in ICU (+4) plus 2 deaths – 22.56% positive rate (PCR)

QLD – 9581 new cases (5867 PCR and 3,714 RAT) – 81,581 active, 440 in hospital (+38) and 21 in ICU (-1) – 0 deaths – 36.05% positive rate (PCR)

SA – 4024 new cases – 27,762 active, 188 in hospital (+12) and 21 in ICU (+3) – plus 2 deaths – 18.42% positive rate

TAS – 1220 new cases (399 PCR and 821 RAT) – 7917 active, 17 in hospital (+2) and 0 in ICU (-1) – 17.72% positive rate (PCR)

ACT – 938 new cases – 5681 active, 25 in hospital (-2) and 4 in ICU (0) – 20.55% positive rate

NT – 404 new cases (292 PCR and 112 RAT) – 2060 active, 29 in hospital (0) and 2 in ICU (+1) – 11.53% positive rate (PCR)

WA – 8 new cases – 89 active, 0 in hospital (0) and 0 in ICU (0)

Australia – 71,273 new cases, 22 new deaths, 590,060 active, 3542 in hospital (+216), 325 (+26) in ICU, 88 (+15) on a ventilator.

Australia records 71,273 cases after 99,652, 116,032, 78,160, 72,398, 64,763, 47,808 on previous days. On December 9, 2021 Australia recorded 1651 new cases.

Big thanks to Kevin Pollard for the research and crunching the numbers.

Our source information – link to NSW Health figures:

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/find-the-facts-about-covid-19

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