COVID by the numbers – 26 new Hawkesbury cases, 137 active – Kurrajong Nursing Home into lockdown

Welcome to Tuesday evening. The same number of new cases in the Hawkesbury today as yesterday, so another 26 recorded cases of COVID, which means there are now 137 active cases across our local government area.

Kurrajong Nursing Home on Old Bells Line of Road went into lockdown last night following several positive results from staff who had taken rapid antigen tests, but so far no residents are infected. The 30-bed Home put out a message to staff at 8.20pm Monday asking for anyone who could fill staff spaces to put their hand up, given those testing positive are isolating. All staff are wearing full Personal Protection Equipment at the home and the NSW Health Public Health Unit has been informed.

“We are continuing to work closely with the Public Health Unit,” said the message to staff.

“They are working at getting the results from the PCR results taken on the relatives back.

“We remain in lockdown and all staff on site are wearing full personal protective equipment, socially distancing, and practicing hand hygiene,” said the message.”

Meanwhile, COVID test centres remained closed today across the Hawkesbury, but should all be open tomorrow. Our numbers guru Kevin Pollard has trawled through today’s official numbers, and as always our thanks to him for his work and dedication here.

Today’s headlines:

* 26 new COVID cases recorded in the Hawkesbury, 15 are linked, so 11 from an unknown source.

* There are 137 active COVID cases in the Hawkesbury (was 116 yesterday)

* Of the 6062 new NSW cases recorded today (6324, 6394, 6288, 5612 cases on previous days) reported to 8pm, Monday, December 27 – 226 are from Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, which includes the Hawkesbury.

* On the good news front – studies in South Africa, where Omicron was first uncovered, appear to show previous Omicron infection creates antibodies that neutralise the more deadly Delta variant. There’s increasing evidence Omicron infection and vaccination may provide very strong protection against previous and future variants. Omicron is less pathogenic and this could hopefully help edge Delta out. Having said that, research into Omicron continues worldwide.

Hospitalisations

In many ways these are the crucial numbers, given the majority of NSW residents over the age of 16 are fully vaccinated.

* There were 166 people in hospital 14 days ago, 557 today.

* There were 21 people in ICU 15 days ago, there are 60 today.

* 5 of the 60 in ICU have the Omicron variant, 55 have Delta.

* 36 of those 60 are unvaccinated, including two children under 12 – that age group currently aren’t eligible for the vaccination.

* 24 of the 60 in ICU are fully vaccinated.

* Sixteen children aged 17 and under are in hospital, 3 are in ICU, one is on a ventilator.

* The large majority of the 60 in ICU have underlying health issues.

“For the fourth day in a row, at least 30% of testing centres [across NSW] were closed, plenty were at capacity early, ran out of tests, or had staffing issues, so far less people got a PCR test – which are taking up to 7 days to be processed,” says Kevin.

“Positive cases announced today would have been from tests 2 to 5 days ago.”

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

* 18 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)

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

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

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

* 1 in the 2757 postcode (Kurmond)

Total active COVID cases in the Hawkesbury as of 8pm December 27 – and postcodes they are in:

* 79 in the 2756 postcode (Windsor, Sackville, Wilberforce, etc) – was 64 yesterday

* 26 in the 2753 postcode (Richmond, Londonderry, Grose Vale, etc) – was 25 yesterday

* 17 in the 2758 postcode (Bilpin, East Kurrajong, ec) – was 17 yesterday

* 11 in the 2754 postcode (North Richmond, Tennyson, The Slopes) – was 7 yesterday

* 3 in the 2757 postcode (Kurmond) – was 2 yesterday

* 1 in the 2775 postcode (Lower Macdonald, St Albans) – was 1 yesterday

Big thanks to Kevin Pollard for 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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