COVID by the numbers Monday – 1 new Hawkesbury case in postcode 2753 – vaccines save lives – report

Welcome to Monday evening and our in-depth Hawkesbury numbers and COVID local news.

This round-up of Hawkesbury COVID numbers is compiled by numbers guru Kevin Pollard using NSW Health datasets, and is up to 8pm on Sunday evening.

Our thanks to Kevin for putting the numbers together and compiling the news snippets in this easily accessible format.

Coupled with our regular news updates when we hear about new COVID venues, this builds into a useful daily source of information for Hawkesbury residents.

Today’s headlines:

* 1 new COVID case in the Hawkesbury – source unknown

* There are 12 active COVID cases in the Hawkesbury (was 12 yesterday)

* There are 83 active cases (was 88 yesterday) in the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, which includes the Hawkesbury.

* Of the 187 new NSW cases (244, 270, 249 cases on previous days) reported to 8pm, Sunday, November 7 – three are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD.

* In the Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, there were 3 cases yesterday, 6, 3, 14, 15, 3, 8, 3, 6, 13, 11, 9, 5, 9 on previous days.

* There are 2898 active COVID cases (was 2986 yesterday) in NSW.

* There were 52,939 COVID-19 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous days of 70,276, 72,350, 80,581, 94,661, 114,303, 58,988, 62,857 tests.

* 52,939 COVID tests yesterday was the lowest amount since 49,055 tests were reported on July 13 – 119 days ago. However, the positivity rate is low (187 cases from 52,939 tests – 0.35% positivity rate). 13 days in a row of under 0.37% positivity rate. Highest positivity rate in NSW was 1.29% on September 5.

* 92 of today’s 187 cases were in Sydney. Outside of Sydney, 40 are from Hunter New England LHD, 25 are from Murrumbidgee LHD, 9 are from Far West LHD and 6 are from Mid North Coast LHD.

* Today marks the formal beginning of Australia’s booster program, as of Monday afternoon more than 210,000 boosters had already been administered.

* COVID vaccines could be administered at schools as teenage rate stalls in parts of western Sydney.

* Canterbury-Bankstown LGA has the lowest 12 to 15-year-old vaccination rate in Sydney (55.4% fully vaccinated, 65.9% first dose) with Cumberland, Liverpool and Fairfield LGAs being other ‘areas of concern’. In NSW for 12-15 year olds: 70.9% fully vaccinated and 80.5% first dose.

* But in City of Sydney LGA, almost every child aged 12 to 15 (total population aged 0 and over is 252,000) has received their first shot and 97.1% are fully vaccinated. The first dose rate is also above 90% in the Inner West, Burwood, the Hills, Hornsby, Lane Cove and North Sydney LGAs.

* The vaccine mandate came into force from today at schools in NSW.

Teachers without an exemption must provide proof they are fully vaccinated, or they will face suspension.

* There are 130,000 adults working at schools in NSW:

* 97.54% – are fully vaccinated (126,800)

* 1.96% – partially vaccinated (2550)

* 0.5% – have a medical exemption or have refused a vaccine (650)

* John Skerritt, the head of the TGA said Pfizer approvals for 5 to 11-year-olds: “will take a few weeks but I would hope that we get there by the end of November”.

If the TGA follows the lead of the US FDA, which approved Pfizer for 5 to 11 year olds on October 29, final approval will then be up to ATAGI. Based on their track record, and recent comments, it’s far from clear which way they’ll go.

* There have been at least 264 school closures due to COVID in NSW since beginning of Term 4 on October 5 (today is the 25th school day).

Covid vaxx highly effective and saves lives, says NSW Health – figures back it up…

Fully vaccinated people have been significantly less likely to become seriously ill or die, and better protected from acquiring COVID, during the Delta outbreak in NSW.

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant today highlighted the findings in the latest NSW Health In Focus report which shows hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths were all far lower among the fully vaccinated population during the outbreak’s peak.

Dr Chant said the report also makes it clear fully vaccinated people were significantly less likely to become infected with COVID-19.

“The COVID-19 Delta outbreak has been the biggest challenge the state has faced during the pandemic because of its transmissibility. However, this report shows vaccination has been key in protecting ourselves, our families, and the community from the harmful effects of the virus,” Dr Chant said.

Of the 61,800 locally acquired COVID-19 cases with disease onset from 16 June to 7 October 2021:

* The majority of cases (63.1 per cent) had received no vaccine, 9.2 per cent had received one dose, and 6.1 per cent of cases had received two doses of vaccine. About one in five people (21.7 per cent) had no vaccination recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register.

* Of the 8,660 cases hospitalised, only 5.7 per cent (493) had received two doses of a vaccine and just 3.0 per cent (30) of the 1,015 cases who were admitted to ICU were fully vaccinated. Twenty-six of these 30 people had significant underlying health conditions.

Dr Chant said ICU admissions and deaths peaked from 8 September to 21 September during the outbreak, with unvaccinated individuals more than 16 times more likely to end up in ICU or die during this period.

Of the 412 people who died in total from 16 June to 7 October 2021, only 11 per cent (47 people) had received two doses of a vaccine. Of these 47 people, their average age was 82. Twenty-nine people were residents of aged care facilities and the other 18 people had significant underlying health issues.

“COVID-19 cases peaked from 25 August to 7 September, with the rate among fully vaccinated people at 49.5 per 100,000, while in unvaccinated people it was 561 per 100,000, a more than 10-fold difference,” Dr Chant said.

“Notably, young people with two doses of a vaccine experienced lower rates of infection and almost no serious disease, while those unvaccinated in this age group were at greater risk of developing COVID-19 and needing hospitalisation.”

Dr Chant said NSW has done an extraordinary job of embracing vaccination, but that rates need to increase even further to optimise the state’s level of protection.

“It is incredibly important people come forward for vaccination as soon as possible, especially young people aged 12 to 15 years old,” Dr Chant said.

“Vaccinations are safe, effective, and free from our NSW Health vaccination clinics, GPs and pharmacies.”

New COVID cases in the Hawkesbury by postcode

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

Total active COVID cases in the Hawkesbury – and postcodes they are in

* 8 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) – was 8 yesterday

* 3 in the 2758 postcode (Bilpin, East Kurrajong, Kurrajong, Kurrajong Heights, Kurrajong Hills, Mountain Lagoon, Wheeny Creek, Mount Tomah, Berambing, Blaxlands Ridge, Devils Wilderness) – was 3 yesterday

* 1 in the 2753 postcode (Richmond, Richmond Lowlands, Londonderry, Grose Vale, Grose Wold, Bowen Mountain, Hobartville, Yarramundi, Agnes Banks) – was 1 yesterday

* 0 in the 2754 postcode (North Richmond, Tennyson, The Slopes) – was 0 yesterday

COVID deaths and hospital numbers – 7 deaths in the last 24 hours – none in the Hawkesbury

NSW Health is today reporting the deaths of 7 people with COVID – 4 women and 3 men.

One person was in their 30s, one was in their 60s, one in their 70s, three people in their 80s, and one person in their 90s.

Two people were from Albury, two were from Sydney’s inner city, two were from south western Sydney, and one person was from south eastern Sydney.

3 people were not vaccinated, 2 people had received one dose of a COVID vaccine, and 2 people were fully vaccinated.

The two people from Albury, a woman in her 80s who had received one dose of a COVID vaccine, and a woman in her 90s who had received two doses of a COVID-vaccine, died at the Mercy Place aged care facility in Albury, where they acquired their infections. There have been 8 deaths linked to the Mercy Place aged care facility.

A man in his 80s from south eastern Sydney died at Prince of Wales Hospital, where he acquired his infection. He was not vaccinated.

A man in his 30s from south western Sydney died at Royal North Shore Hospital. He was not vaccinated and had no significant underlying health conditions.

There have been 546 COVID-related deaths in NSW since this Delta outbreak started on June 16.

At least 42 of the 546 have died at home, and of those 24 didn’t know they had COVID at the time of death.

At least 88 of the 546 COVID-related deaths in NSW since June 16 were people who were fully vaccinated.

The 88 deaths among people fully vaccinated were 4 people in their 50s, 5 people in their 60s, 27 people in their 70s, 28 people in their 80s, 23 people in their 90s and 1 person in their 100s.

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.

6.22 million of NSW’s 8.2 million residents are fully vaccinated, 88 of those that were fully vaccinated have died of the virus.

There are 264 patients with COVID (was 269 yesterday) in hospital, with 48 (52 yesterday) in ICU, 20 (24 yesterday) of whom require ventilation.

Of the 48 people in ICU: 38 were not vaccinated, 3 have received 1 dose, 7 are fully vaccinated.

There have been 71,148 locally acquired cases reported since June 16.

Vaccinated numbers – in NSW, by the end of today, November 8

16 years and over: 90.1% fully vaccinated and 93.96% first dose.

12-15 year olds: 70.9% fully vaccinated and 80.5% first dose.

16-19 year olds: 79.2% fully vaccinated and 90.4% first dose.

All 8.2 million NSW residents (aged 0 and over): 75.8% fully vaccinated and 81.3% first dose.

All 25.9 million Australian residents (aged 0 and over): 67.7% fully vaccinated and 75.3% first dose.

NSW COVID vaccination status (of cases during Delta outbreak from June 16 until November 7)

Based on NSW Health Surveillance Reports to October 16, and cases since.

546 COVID deaths: 64.8% not vaccinated (354 people), 19.1% had received 1 dose (104 people), 16.1% were fully vaccinated (88 people).

1303 in ICU: 85.6% not vaccinated, 7.8% had received 1 dose, 4.5% were fully vaccinated

11,829 hospitalised: 85.6% not vaccinated, 8.2% had received 1 dose, 6.5% were fully vaccinated

71,148 cases: 77.9% not vaccinated, 13.3% had received 1 dose, 8.8% were fully vaccinated.

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

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!