COVID by the numbers – zero new Hawkesbury cases – COVID infected at venues in neighbouring LGAs

Welcome to Saturday 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 Friday 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:

* Zero new cases of COVID recorded in the Hawkesbury in the last 24 hours

* There are currently 10 active COVID cases in the Hawkesbury (was 11 yesterday)

* Of the 236 new NSW cases (was 268 yesterday) reported to 8pm, Friday, October 29 – 6 are from Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, which includes the Hawkesbury.

* In the Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, there were 13 cases yesterday, 11, 9, 5, 9, 13, 6, 15, 10, 13, 27, 10, 6, 4 on previous days.

* There were 77,271 COVID-19 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous days of 82,840, 89,678, 89,875, 71,352, 59,612, 66,740, 64,118, 76,594, 86,235, 88,664, 90,597 tests.

* There are 140 active COVID cases (was 142 yesterday) in the Nepean Blue Mountains LHD.

* Not in the Hawkesbury, but a reminder from our close neighbours that COVID hasn’t gone away…

A COVID positive person/persons visited the following venues (24 hour period on these days):

Lapstone Hotel, Blaxland on Thursday, October 21

IGA Springwood on Tuesday, October 26

Blooms The Chemist Springwood on Wednesday, October 27

Bunnings Valley Heights on Thursday, October 28

Bunnings Penrith Homemaker Centre, 2745 Wolseley Street on Thursday, October 28

* There have been at least 181 temporary school closures due to COVID in NSW since beginning of Term 4 on October 5 (19 school days).

Meanwhile, in the US, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer’s COVID vaccine.

This Wednesday, advisers to the Centre for Disease Control in the US will make more detailed recommendations on which youngsters should get vaccinated, with a

final decision expected shortly afterwards. Several panellists said not all youngsters will need to be vaccinated, and that they preferred the shots be targeted to those at higher risk from the virus.

Statistics from the US show 70% of 5 to 11 year olds who have either been hospitalised with COVID or have died have other serious medical conditions, including asthma and obesity. 68% of youngsters hospitalised are black or Hispanic, and they’re three times more likely to get seriously ill with COVID than white people.

A new study by the CDC in the US suggests that vaccination provides stronger and more reliable protection against the coronavirus than a past infection does.

Unvaccinated people who had previously recovered from a coronavirus infection were 5 times more likely to get COVID as people who had received both shots of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, according to the US research.

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 yesterday

* 4 in the 2758 postcode (Bilpin, East Kurrajong, Kurrajong, Kurrajong Heights, Kurrajong Hills, Mountain Lagoon, Wheeny Creek, Mount Tomah, Berambing, Blaxlands Ridge, Devils Wilderness) – was 5 yesterday

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

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

COVID deaths and hospital numbers – 3 deaths in the last 24 hours – none in the Hawkesbury

NSW Health is today reporting the deaths of 3 people.

A man in his 40s from Newcastle died at John Hunter Hospital. He had received one dose of a COVID vaccine and had underlying health issues.

A man in his 60s from western Sydney died at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital. He had received one dose of a COVID vaccine and had underlying health issues.

A man in his 80s from south-western Sydney died at Liverpool Hospital, where he acquired his infection. He was fully vaccinated and had underlying health issues.

There have been 515 COVID-related deaths in NSW since this Delta outbreak started on June 16.

At least 42 of the 515 have died at home, and of those 24 didn’t know they had COVID at the time of death.

At least 79 of the 510 COVID-related deaths in NSW since June 16 were people who were fully vaccinated.

The 79 deaths among people fully vaccinated were 4 people in their 50s, 5 people in their 60s, 25 people in their 70s, 24 people in their 80s and 21 people in their 90s.

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.

6.08 million of NSW’s 8.2 million residents are fully vaccinated, 79 of those that were fully vaccinated died of the virus.

There are 343 people with COVID (was 363 yesterday) in hospital, with 81 (80 yesterday) in ICU, 33 (32 yesterday) of whom require ventilation.

There have been 69,232 locally acquired cases reported since June 16, when the first case in this outbreak was reported.

Vaccinated numbers – in NSW, by the end of today, October 30

16 years and over: 87.9% fully vaccinated and 93.8% first dose.

12-15 year olds: 62.8% fully vaccinated and 79.7% first dose.

16-19 year olds: 75.8% fully vaccinated and 89.2% first dose.

All 8.2 million NSW residents (aged 0 and over): 73.8% fully vaccinated and 80.5% first dose.

All 25.9 million Australian residents (aged 0 and over): 63.8% fully vaccinated and 74.2% first dose.

NSW COVID vaccination status (of cases during Delta outbreak from June 16 until October 29)

Based on NSW Health Surveillance Reports to October 9, and cases since.

515 COVID deaths: Not vaccinated (340 people), had received 1 dose (96 people), fully vaccinated (79 people).

1147 in ICU: 84.0% not vaccinated, 11.2% had received 1 dose, 4.8% were fully vaccinated

8353 hospitalised: 80.4% not vaccinated, 11.1% had received 1 dose, 8.5% were fully vaccinated

69,232 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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