COVID update – pandemic high of 236 new Hawkesbury cases and 1525 active – global deaths down

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

It’s the deadliest day in NSW so far in this pandemic with 16 deaths due to COVID – none in the Hawkesbury but we do have an unenviable pandemic record today of 228 new local cases and 1525 active COVID cases in the Hawkesbury.

There are now just under 2000 people in hospital across NSW and from today workers involved in the food distribution and food growing businesses do not need to isolate if they have close contact with someone with COVID, unless they have symptoms. The new rule is because there are increasing shortages of basic goods on supermarket shelves, with lots of workers isolating. Will it help stop the spread of COVID – probably the reverse…

Hospital and ICU figures from NSW Health do not include the thousands in virtual care or hospital-in-the home care pathways, nor do they include the huge load daily presenting to EDs, GPs or the ambulance service – we’ve got most of those numbers under our home and global headline section – makes for sobering reading.

Interestingly though, the global COVID case fatality rate continues to decline despite Omicron cases surging around the world.

0.74 daily deaths per million people were recorded yesterday, compared to the peak of 1.88 daily deaths per million people on January 11, 2021.

COVID deaths are currently sitting at their lowest level since late October 2020. This is likely a combination of the high number of Omicron cases and vaccine effect. But the 7-day average of new daily cases worldwide has risen to over 2.2 million, by far the highest since the pandemic began.

Thanks to our good friend 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.

Kevin has also put together information on hospital numbers and news about developments as the Omicron and Delta variants continue to spread.

Today’s Hawkesbury headlines and numbers:

* Pandemic record case numbers in the Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains and Lithgow LGAs today.

* These three LGAs represented 34% of all cases in the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District today, when it’s normally 10-20% each day.

* 236 new COVID cases in the Hawkesbury recorded in the last 24 hours – 145 are linked, so 91 with no known source.

* 1525 active COVID cases in the Hawkesbury

* Of the 30,062 local COVID cases (45,098, 38,625, 34,994, 35,054 cases on previous days) in NSW reported to 8pm, Saturday, January 8 – 1587 are from the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, which includes the Hawkesbury.

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

* 122 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)

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

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

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

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

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

* 839 in the 2756 postcode (Windsor, Sackville, Wilberforce, etc) – was 724 yesterday

* 397 in the 2753 postcode (Richmond, Londonderry, Grose Vale, etc) – was 338 yesterday

* 157 in the 2758 postcode (Bilpin, East Kurrajong, etc) – was 140 yesterday

* 122 in the 2754 postcode (North Richmond, Tennyson, The Slopes) – was 104 yesterday

* 17 in the 2775 postcode (Lower Macdonald, St Albans) – was 14 yesterday

* 9 in the 2757 postcode (Kurmond) – was 10 yesterday

Home and global headlines:

Hospital and ICU figures from NSW Health do not include the thousands in virtual care or hospital-in-the home care pathways, nor do they include the huge load daily presenting to EDs, GPs or the ambulance service.

There are approximately 21,000 patients in NSW hospital-in-the home care pathways, that are not counted in the daily published data.

* There are 292,237 active cases in NSW

* 1927 COVID patients are in hospital

* There are 21,000 ‘hospital home care’ cases

* There are 269,310 ‘low risk cases’ under home self-management

* 5413 NSW Healthcare workers are in isolation

* 30.37% of the 98,986 NSW COVID tests were positive (30,062).

* The positivity rates were 38.57%, 34.26%, 31.46%, 32.21%, 27.74% 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 300 people in ICU in Australia have Delta and 15% Omicron and for the 3323 in hospital in Australia it’s about 70% Delta and 30% Omicron. Most are aged over 18 in hospital and there’s around 9 under 18 in ICU.

* 11 out of 151 people in ICU in NSW have the Omicron variant, the rest have Delta.

* Remote learning may be necessary once primary school term starts in NSW, the National Teachers’ union says today, with staff and parents deeply concerned at the prospect amid the flood of COVID cases. Remote learning even just for 3 weeks – could prevent thousands of infections among unvaccinated children, their families, and their teachers. This comes as GPs report issues with patchy supply of vaccines for children and parents receiving last minute cancellations ahead of tomorrow’s rollout of jabs for five- to 11-year-olds.

* No primary school student (K to Y6) will be fully vaccinated by the time NSW starts welcoming students back to the classroom in late January because appointments for children aged five to 11 open on Monday and there will be an 8-week gap between doses.

* Also, childcare centres have already experienced the impact of soaring cases: 322 were shut across NSW on this last Friday alone. Children under 5 cannot be vaccinated.

* 1 in 7 children may still have Delta symptoms 15 weeks after infection, data from Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health in London shows.

* The Sydney Morning Herald reported today that Australia and NSW no longer has a credible way of calculating how many people have COVID. Accurate data is vital for ensuring fast, effective and appropriate hospital responses, for determining the timing of booster vaccines, and for devising strategies for managing the workforce generally. It also assists in identifying variants swiftly.

* ANZ Bank data shows public spending is now at its worst since Delta lockdowns, and spending in Greater Sydney for the week to 5 January was at its weakest since COVID began. Caution about Omicron transmission and disruptions of businesses due to staff shortages are central to the decline.

* Woolworths says 20% of its truck drivers and distribution centre team members are unable to work due to COVID. Coles & Aldi also greatly affected.

* Long COVID could become Finland’s largest chronic disease, warns their Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services.

* The number of Americans hospitalised with COVID hits 135,292 – the highest since the pandemic began. The previous pandemic high in the US was 132,474 in hospital on January 6, 2021.

NSW COVID cases in hospital, in ICU, and on a ventilator, and their vaxx status:

In hospital: 1927 patients (was 1795, 1,738, 1,609, 1,491, 1,344 on previous days) – 69.6% fully or triple vaccinated, 2.5% one dose, 27.9% not vaccinated.

In ICU: 151 (145, 134, 131, 119, 105 on previous days) – 51.8% fully or triple vaccinated, 1.2% one dose, 47.0% not vaccinated.

On ventilators: 38 (40, 33, 38, 32, 27 on previous days) – 51.8% fully or triple vaccinated, 1.2% one dose, 47.0% not vaccinated.

There were 166 people in hospital 25 days ago – 1927 today.

There were 21 people in ICU 26 days ago – 151 today.

There were 7 on ventilator 25 days ago – 38 today.

NSW previous pandemic peaks: 1268 in hospital and 242 in ICU, 123 on ventilators, on 21 September 2021.

COVID deaths 16 today – none in the Hawkesbury:

16 new deaths is a pandemic high in NSW (15 was the previous pandemic high on a single day in NSW on September 29 2021 and also on October 1 2021).

NSW Health is reporting the deaths, after 10, 11, 6 and 8 deaths on previous days.

16 deaths; 8 women and 8 men aged in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.

7 people were from south western Sydney, 2 were from south eastern Sydney, 2 from western Sydney, 2 from Sydney’s inner west, 1 from the Central Coast, 1 from the south coast, and 1 person from northern Sydney.

13 of the 16 were fully vaccinated, 3 were not vaccinated.

For the 5th day in a row, NSW Health have not listed the vaccination status of those that have died or if they had underlying health issues but other health districts and journalists have.

There have been 674 COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since this Delta/Omicron outbreak started.

165 of the 674 COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since 16 June 2021 were people fully vaccinated.

509 of the deaths were of people with either no dose or one dose of a vaccine.

The 165 deaths among people fully vaccinated – 1 in their 20s, 6 people in their 50s, 3 people in their 60s, 52 people in their 70s, 53 people in their 80s, 43 people in their 90s and 1 person in their 100s. *Three 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 9, 2022).

Vaccination status numbers between June 16, 2021 and January 9, 2022 based on NSW Health Surveillance Reports to December 25 and cases since.

674 COVID deaths: 0.15% not eligible for vaccination as aged 0-11 years (1), 57.7% not vaccinated (389 people), 16.9% had received 1 dose (114 people), 24.4% were fully vaccinated (164 people), 0.8% were fully vaccinated with 3 doses ie triple vaccinated (6)

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.

10,198 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.

449,678 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 – 30,062 new cases, 292,237 active, 1,927 in hospital (+132) and 145 in ICU (+11) plus 16 deaths – 30.37% positive rate

VIC – 44,155 new cases (22,104 PCR and 22,051 RAT), 146,863 active, 752 in hospital (+21) and 104 in ICU (-5) plus 4 deaths – 26.32% positive rate (PCR)

QLD – 18,000 new cases (13,680 PCR and 4,320 RAT) – 80,563 active, 402 in hospital (+53) and 22 in ICU (+5) – 0 deaths – 36.05% positive rate (PCR)

SA – 4,506 new cases – 25,877 active, 176 in hospital (+12) and 18 in ICU (+2) – plus 1 death – 19.19% positive rate

TAS – 1,406 new cases (598 PCR and 808 RAT) – 7,473 active, 10 in hospital (+2) and 1 in ICU (+1) – 18.50% positive rate (PCR)

ACT – 1,039 new cases – 5,766 active, 27 in hospital (+3) and 4 in ICU (-1) – 32.57% positive rate

NT – 481 new cases – 1,795 active, 29 in hospital (+2) and 1 in ICU (0) – 15.69% positive rate

WA – 1 new cases – 87 active, 0 in hospital (0) and 0 in ICU (0)

Australia – 99,652 new cases, 21 new deaths, 560,662 active, 3,323 in hospital, 300 +(7) in ICU, 73 (+1) on a ventilator

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

If you are already a Hawkesbury Post supporter, thank you! Our site is free, relying on our supporters to operate. Independent journalism is more important than ever, please consider contributing.

Click here to see how

Don’t pay so you can read it. Pay so everybody can read it!