THURS COVID UPDATE – 262 NSW CASES HIGHEST RECORDED IN 24-HRS – FIVE DEATHS – HAWKESBURY CASES DROP

Of the new cases announced this morning from 11am, 129 are linked to a known case or cluster – 96 are household contacts and 33 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 133 cases is under investigation.

In some good news, the Hawkesbury now has 5 active cases, down from the 6 we have seen for several weeks now. We’re checking to see if that is one person who has recovered. There were 551 new tests carried out in the last 24 hours in the Hawkesbury.

Five people across Sydney have died in the last 24 hours. Three people in their 60s, one person in their 70s and one person in their 80s.

Four of the five people who died had not been vaccinated. One person had received one dose.

There will be a one-week lockdown from 5pm in the Hunter and upper Hunter region, which includes Singleton, following new Covid cases in that region. The other local government areas are Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Cessnock, Dungog, and Muswellbrook.

On the good news side of the pendulum, NSW will be getting an extra 180,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine beginning from August 9.

“We know from the stats and the facts that getting the vaccines reduces your chance of being contagious,” said Premier Gladys Berejiklian this morning, “but also it saves you staying out of hospital and it saves you passing it on to all your loved ones and we know how critical that is.

“I’m urging everyone to come forward and get vaccinated. It doesn’t matter which vaccine you’re offered. If you have any concerns, go through your GP. But get vaccinated. I can’t stress that enough.”

There are 290 COVID cases in hospital, with 51 people in intensive care and 24 of them on ventilators.

“And we are seeing young people in ICU. We are seeing people in their teens, in their 20s and their 30s, as well as older individuals,” said Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant.

“I want to acknowledge that younger people have not had the opportunity to be vaccinated because of access to Pfizer. I want to indicate that I’m aware of that,” Dr Chant said.

“But please, now is the time to strongly consider getting vaccinated if you’re over 18 and, for the elderly, who have not been vaccinated, again, I put out a plea to you – make an appointment.”

She said even one vaccine inoculation of either Pfizer or AstraZeneca can reduce hospitalisation and death by 70%.

“And two doses achieves about a 90% effectiveness against hospitalisation and death,” she added.

“We have the tools to allow us to protect ourselves and our loved ones from COVID. I call on everyone to act now.”

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