COVID by the numbers Monday – 3 new Hawkesbury cases – rapid COVID tests now on sale in supermarkets

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

Yesterday we didn’t post because there were no updated active case numbers, and the Hawkesbury recorded zero new cases, so we were a bit thin on information. Today is different – 3 new Hawkesbury cases and 2 of those are not linked, their sources unknown.

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, as always, to Kevin for putting the numbers together 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:

* 3 new COVID cases in the Hawkesbury – 2 are from an unknown source and not linked

* There are 11 active COVID cases in the Hawkesbury (was 10 two days ago)

* There are 116 active cases (was 140 two days ago) in the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, which includes the Hawkesbury:

* Of the 135 new NSW COVID cases (was 177 yesterday) reported to 8pm, Sunday, October 31 – 8 are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD.

* There are 3495 active cases (was 3667 yesterday) in NSW.

* There were 62,857 COVID-19 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous days of 75,378, 77,271, 82,840, 89,678, 89,875, 71,352 and 59,612 tests.

* 0.22% of today’s tests in NSW came back positive (135 cases from 62,857 tests). It’s the lowest positivity rate since 9 August 2021 (85 days ago) when 0.21% of tests came back positive (285 cases from 133,840 tests).

* 3.19% of today’s tests in VIC came back positive (1471 cases from 46,065 tests). It’s the highest positivity rate vs tests since 3.51% on August 2, 2020.

* Only 50 of today’s 135 local cases were in Sydney, the rest were in regional NSW.

* For the first time since the emergence of Delta, NZ’s COVID outbreak has overtaken NSW’s:

NZ – 162 local cases (a pandemic record today)

NSW – 135 local cases

* NSW’s international borders officially opened today and Premier Perrottet said this morning, “today is a day many people have been waiting for. Families and friends across NSW can now get together as well as look forward to welcoming home loved ones who have been overseas trying to get home.”

* Australians can now test themselves for COVID with self-testing kits available in supermarkets and pharmacies. The rapid antigen tests will return results within 15 minutes and cost between $30 for a 2 pack and $50 for a 5 pack at Coles.

But they’re not perfect and have a higher false negative rate than more traditional PCR testing. If you test positive, you will still have to get a PCR test at a normal testing centre.

* NSW Government will scrap December 1 opening for the unvaccinated and extend that date in favour of 95% double dose (of those 16 and over) which is expected to be reached by December 20, although the first dose rate has slowed over the last week so that date could be pushed back.

* 43 LGAs in NSW are now 90% fully vaccinated. Interestingly 33 are regional LGAs. Byron Bay shire is at 69.2% fully vaccinated too and there are only 2 LGAs under 70% fully vaxxed.

* From the TGA: Sinopharm (Chinese made) and Bharat Biotech (Indian made) vaccines are now recognised by the TGA for the purposes of entry into Australia. The TGA recognised vaccines are now: Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, Coronavac (Sinovac), Covidshield (AstraZeneca/Serum Institute of India), Sinopharm and Bharat Biotech.

* There have been at least 196 school closures due to COVID in NSW since beginning of Term 4 on October 5 (today is the 20th school day).

New COVID cases in the Hawkesbury by postcode

* 2 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 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

* 6 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 6 two days ago

* 4 in the 2758 postcode (Bilpin, East Kurrajong, etc) – was 4 two days ago

* 1 in the 2753 postcode (Richmond, Richmond Lowlands, Londonderry, Grose Vale, Grose Wold, Bowen Mountain, Hobartville, Yarramundi, Agnes Banks) – was 0 two days ago

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

COVID deaths and hospital numbers – 4 deaths in the last 24 hours – none in the Hawkesbury

NSW Health is today reporting the deaths of 4 people with COVID – 2 men and 2 women.

A man in his 70s and a woman aged 101, acquired their infections at the Mercy Place aged care facility in Albury. They were both fully vaccinated and had underlying health conditions. There have now been 5 deaths linked to an outbreak at this aged care facility.

A man in his 60s who died at Concord Hospital acquired his infection at Parklea Correctional Centre. He was not vaccinated and had underlying health conditions.

A woman in her 60s from south-east Sydney died at Prince of Wales Hospital. She was not vaccinated and had underlying health conditions.

There have been 520 COVID-related deaths in NSW since this Delta outbreak started on June 16.

At least 42 of the 520 have died at home, and of those 24 didn’t know they had COVID at the time of death.

At least 81 of those 520 COVID-related deaths in NSW since June 16 were fully vaccinated.

The 81 deaths among people fully vaccinated were 4 people in their 50s, 5 people in their 60s, 26 people in their 70s, 24 people in their 80s, 21 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, some had disabilities.

6.1 million of NSW’s 8.2 million residents are now fully vaccinated – 81 fully vaccinated people have died of the virus.

There are 349 patients with (was 340 yesterday) in hospital, with 77 (78 yesterday) in ICU, 33 (32 yesterday) of whom require ventilation.

There have been 69,526 locally acquired cases reported since 16 June 2021, when the first case in this outbreak was reported.

Vaccinated numbers – in NSW, by the end of today, November 1

16 years and over: 88.2% fully vaccinated and 93.7% first dose.

12-15 year olds: 63.5% fully vaccinated and 79.8% first dose.

16-19 year olds: 76.9% fully vaccinated and 89.5% first dose.

All 8.2 million NSW residents (aged 0 and over): 74.5% fully vaccinated and 80.6% first dose.

All 25.9 million Australian residents (aged 0 and over): 64.6% fully vaccinated and 74.6% first dose.

NSW COVID vaccination status (of cases during Delta outbreak from June 16 until October 31)

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

520 COVID deaths: 66.0% were not vaccinated (343 people), 18.5% had received 1 dose (96 people), 15.5% were fully vaccinated (81 people).

1283 in ICU: 85.6% not vaccinated, 7.8% had received 1 dose, 4.5% were fully vaccinated

11,776 hospitalised: 85.6% not vaccinated, 8.2% had received 1 dose, 6.5% were fully vaccinated

69,526 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

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