COVID update – Hawkesbury cases continue to climb, Hazzard tells unvaxxed “give a damn…”

Welcome to Monday evening and the daily update of COVID numbers across our region.

We had a couple of days break from the updates, not least because Editor Tony had a bit of a reaction to his Pfizer booster shot. Still, that’s been and gone, and he’s fighting fit again.

As it happens, today NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard blasted the unvaccinated, begging them to “give a damn about someone other than yourself” as the Omicron variant continues to put hospitals under pressure.

RAT results are still not itemised per postcode and per LGA again in today’s figures, so we don’t know which postcodes those positive RATs are in.

After 105 days as NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet has overseen 444 COVID deaths in NSW – more than all the rest of the COVID deaths in NSW since the start of the pandemic (439).

Thanks as always to our good friend Kevin Pollard who has crunched the day’s COVID numbers so we have an excellent overview here of the Hawkesbury situation, and further afield too, giving our readers a very detailed picture.

Today’s Hawkesbury numbers:

* 174 new cases in the Hawkesbury today, after 171, 195, 163, 272, 157, 304 PCR cases on previous days.

* That’s 1436 new Hawkesbury cases in the last 6 days

* We now have at least 2365 active cases in the Hawkesbury

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

* 93 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)

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

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

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

* 2 in the 2757 postcode (Kurmond)

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

Total active COVID PCR cases in the Hawkesbury as of 8pm January 16 – and postcodes they are in:

* 1309 in the 2756 postcode (Windsor, Sackville, Wilberforce, etc) – was 1268 yesterday

* 621 in the 2753 postcode (Richmond, Londonderry, Grose Vale, etc) – was 602 yesterday

* 213 in the 2754 postcode (North Richmond, Tennyson, The Slopes) – was 212 yesterday

* 193 in the 2758 postcode (Bilpin, East Kurrajong, etc) – was 195 yesterday

* 23 in the 2757 postcode (Kurmond) – was 22 yesterday

* 22 in the 2775 postcode (Lower Macdonald, St Albans) – was 21 yesterday

There are 338,613 active cases (was 342,838 yesterday) in NSW.

Home and global headlines:

* Concord and Nepean Hospital’s Dr Lucy Morgan, a lung specialist, today urged NSW residents to get vaccinated – if they hadn’t so far – and also to get their booster shot when applicable.

“If we think about eight million people in the state, even if there’s 1% unvaccinated, that’s 80,000 people who are still at significant risk of catching COVID and developing severe disease,” she said.

“Many of these are our community’s most vulnerable, our homeless, our patients with very severe or uncontrolled poor mental health.”

* Retailers charging “beyond outrageous” prices for rapid antigen tests are being referred to the Federal Police for investigation and will be fined by the ACCC if they cannot produce a reasonable explanation as to why their prices were so high. It is now illegal, under new laws that prevent profit margins of more than 20% on tests, after some retailers were charging up to $50 per RAT.

* The TGA has recognised Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine for international travel to Australia.

* Positive COVID cases in the UK may no longer be required to self-isolate with close contacts and mask rules to be relaxed in certain settings, under the UK government’s plans to learn to live with the virus.

* Of the 17,646 new NSW PCR COVID cases (20,978, 27,020, 20,893, 30,877 cases on previous days) reported to 8pm, Sunday, January 16 – 864 are from Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, which includes the Hawkesbury.

* There were 29,504 positive tests recorded in NSW to 8pm last night: 17,646 PCR and 11,858 RAT.

* Of the 11,858 positive RAT results, 10,187 of these positive tests were from the previous 7 days with 1671 being between late December to January 9.

* There were 85,767 PCR COVID-processed tests to 8pm last night, compared with the previous days of 122,747, 82,581, 109,057, 88,164 tests.

* 20.57% of the 85,767 PCR tests were positive (17,646).

* The positivity rates were 17.09%, 32.72%, 19.16%, 35.02% on previous days.

* Reported cases in NSW over the last 6 weeks have been approximately 85% Omicron and 15% Delta.

* 75% of the 203 people in ICU in NSW have Omicron and 25% Delta.

* Of the 2776 in hospital in NSW, it’s approximately 80% Omicron and 20% Delta.

Current NSW COVID cases in hospital, in ICU, and on a ventilator, plus vaxx status:

In hospital: 2776 (2650, 2576, 2525, 2383 on previous days) – 70.2% fully or triple vaccinated, 2.3% one dose, 27.5% not vaccinated.

In ICU: 203 (191, 193, 184, 182 on previous days) – 50.4% fully or triple vaccinated, 1.2% one dose, 48.4% not vaccinated.

On ventilators: 61 (61, 58, 59, 60 on previous days) – 50.4% fully or triple vaccinated, 1.2% one dose, 48.4% not vaccinated.

There were 166 people in hospital 33 days ago – 2776 today.

There were 21 people in ICU 33 days ago – 203 today.

There were 7 on ventilator 31 days ago – 61 today.

NSW COVID deaths – 17 today – none in the Hawkesbury:

NSW Health is today reporting the deaths of 17 people with COVID; 12 men and 5 women.

1 person was aged in their 60s, 4 were aged in their 70s, 9 in their 80s, and 3 in their 90s.

Of the 17 people who died; 14 were fully vaccinated, 1 person had received one dose of a COVID vaccine and 2 were not vaccinated.

Older age is a significant risk factor for serious illness and death for COVID, particularly when combined with significant underlying health conditions.

7 people were from south-western Sydney, 2 were from western Sydney, 2 from south eastern Sydney, 1 from northern Sydney, 1 from south Sydney, 1 from the Newcastle area, 1 from the Central Coast, 1 from the Wagga Wagga area and 1 from the Tweed Heads area.

There have been 208 COVID deaths in NSW in the last 13 days.

There have been 831 COVID-related deaths in NSW since this Delta/Omicron outbreak started on June 16, 2021.

At least 48 of the 831 have died at home and 26 of them didn’t know they had COVID at the time of death.

275 of the 831 COVID-related deaths in NSW since 16 June 2021 were fully vaccinated people.

The 275 deaths among people fully vaccinated – 2 in their 20s, 1 in their 40s, 11 in their 50s, 13 in their 60s, 81 in their 70s, 98 in their 80s, 59 in their 90s and 3 in their 100s. *4 people in their 80s and 3 people in their 90s had received their booster shots.

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.

There have been 648,014 locally acquired cases reported since 16 June 2021, when the first case in this outbreak was reported.

Vaccinated percentages across age groups, including boosters:

16 years and over: 93.93% fully vaccinated and 95.26% first dose.

12-15 year olds: 78.63% fully vaccinated and 82.18% first dose.

16-19 year olds: 84.7% fully vaccinated and 91.6% first dose.

All 8.2 million NSW residents (aged 0 and over): 80.1% fully vaccinated and 80.6% first dose.

All 25.67 million Australian residents (aged 0 and over): 78.01% fully vaccinated and 81.56% first dose.

Booster: All 25.67 million Australian residents (aged 0 and over), 20.48% have had 3 jabs (was 20.09% yesterday).

All 20.04 million Australian residents (aged 18 and over): 26.23% have had 3 jabs.

5,256,600 third (booster) doses have been administered in Australia.

Your third dose starts to work even faster than previous doses. The immune response begins to build within a week of vaccination.

398,800 childrens’ doses have been given in Australia by the end of today. It’s 8 weeks between doses. There are 2.25 million aged 5 and 11.

Roll out for 5-11 year olds started on January 10 and at this rate, 976,000 kids, or 43.4% of all Australian kids aged 5 to 11, would have had 1 dose by the time school returns (in NSW) on January 28. Efficacy against severe illness for kids aged 5-11 is estimated at 80% after the first dose.

5-11 year olds in Australia: 0.00% fully vaccinated and 17.72% first dose (was 15.61% yesterday).

NSW Covid vaccination status of cases during Delta and Omicron outbreak from June 16 until January 17, 2022).

Vaccination status numbers between June 16, 2021 and January 16, 2022 based on NSW Health Surveillance Reports to January 9 and cases since.

831 COVID deaths: 0.12% not eligible for vaccination as aged 0-11 years (1), 52.8% not vaccinated (439 people), 14.0% had received 1 dose (116 people), 33.1% were either fully or triple vaccinated (275 people).

1920 in ICU: 1.1% not eligible for vaccination as aged 0-11 years, 63.3% not vaccinated, 4.1% had received 1 dose, 31.4% were fully vaccinated.

11,338 hospitalised: 4.6% not eligible for vaccination as aged 0-11 years, 40.9% not vaccinated, 3.8% had received 1 dose, 50.7% were fully vaccinated.

648,014 PCR cases: 18.7% not eligible for vaccination as aged 0-11 years, 10.2% not vaccinated, 4.2% had received 1 dose, 66.9% were fully vaccinated.

How we compare today:

Australia records 73,537 cases after 86,157, 101,232, 130,044, 150,702 on previous days. On December 9, 2021 Australia recorded 1651 new cases.

NSW – 29,504 new cases (17,646 PCR and 11,858 RAT) – 338,613 active, 2,776 in hospital (+126) and 203 in ICU (+12) plus 17 deaths – 20.57% positive rate (PCR)

VIC – 22,429 new cases (12,059 PCR and 10,370 RAT) – 245,040 active, 1,229 in hospital (+115) and 129 in ICU (+7) plus 6 deaths – 24.26% positive rate (PCR)

QLD – 15,122 new cases (10,547 PCR and 4,575 RAT) – 86,953 active, 702 in hospital (+32) and 47 in ICU (-2) plus 7 deaths – 34.06% positive rate (PCR)

SA – 3,829 new cases (2,860 PCR and 969 RAT) – 33,967 active, 227 in hospital (+7) and 26 in ICU (0) – 0 deaths – 19.23% positive rate (PCR)

ACT – 1,601 new cases – (1,017 PCR and 584 RAT) – 3,257 active, 52 in hospital (+12) and 4 in ICU (+1) – plus 1 death – 13.49% positive rate (PCR)

TAS – 1,037 new cases (310 PCR and 727 RAT) – 6,365 active, 21 in hospital (-1) and 1 in ICU (0) – 15.31% positive rate (PCR)

NT – 284 new cases (135 PCR and 149 RAT) – 3,965 active, 39 in hospital (-3) and 1 in ICU (0) – 11.56% positive rate (PCR)

WA – 4 new cases – 124 active, 1 in hospital (+1) and 0 in ICU (0)

WA has seen its first COVID hospital admission since 19 October 2021.

Big thanks to Kevin Pollard for the research and 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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