Covid-19 infection & public health order update for north-east New South Wales, 2 October 2021

NSW Health-NNSWLHD, media releases, 2 October 2021:

Northern NSW Local Health District has been notified of 12 new cases of COVID-19.

Eight new cases were confirmed in residents of Northern NSW Local Health District to 8pm 1 October.

Six cases are from Lismore, one in Kyogle and one in Casino. All cases are linked to the Kyogle cluster.

A further four cases were confirmed overnight, three in the Tweed area and one in Kyogle. These four cases will be included in NSW Health’s official reporting tomorrow.

 ⚠ The total number of active cases in Northern NSW is 26.

Northern NSW Local Health District has been notified of new venues of concern associated with confirmed cases.

Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is considered a casual contact and must get tested and isolate until they get a negative result.

• Kyogle: Caltex, Summerland Way, Tuesday 28 September, 5:45pm to 6:00pm

• Wollongbar : Wollongbar Tavern, 53 Simpson Avenue, Monday, 27 September, 5:25am to 8:00 am

If you are directed to get tested for COVID 19 or self-isolate at any time, you must follow the rules given to you by Health staff, whether or not the venue or exposure setting is listed on the NSW Health website.

Contact tracing and investigations are continuing, and information about new public exposure venues will be provided as soon as it is available.

❗ Sewage surveillance has detected fragments of the COVID-19 virus in samples taken from the South Grafton sewage treatment plant on 30 September. This plant serves around 6,300 people. This is the fourth detection in the past 10 days in this area.

There are no known cases in the Grafton or Clarence Valley region, and we strongly urge residents and visitors to be vigilant for symptoms and please get tested as soon as they feel unwell. It’s important to isolate while waiting for your test result, and follow the instructions given to you by Health staff.

Sewage surveillance has also detected fragments of the virus in samples taken from the East and South Lismore sewage treatment plants on 29 September.

There are active cases in the areas served by these treatment plants, and we continue to encourage anyone in the Lismore area with even the mildest of symptoms to get tested.

Symptoms of COVID-19 can include a runny nose, scratchy or sore throat, cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache, tiredness, loss of taste or smell, nausea, diarrhoea or muscle aches.

⚠ Stay-at-home orders remain in place for Casino and Kyogle until 11 October due to an increased COVID-19 public health risk.

Everyone in these areas must stay at home unless it is for an essential reason, which includes shopping for food, medical care, getting vaccinated, compassionate needs, exercise and work or tertiary education if you can’t work or study at home.

There are more than 500 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW. Find a clinic at: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/health-and-wellbeing/clinics or contact your GP.

We encourage our community to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as they are able to. Find available bookings at the Commonwealth Government’s COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder: https://www.health.gov.au/.../covid-19-vaccine-clinic-finder (previously eligibility checker), or you can also call Health Direct on 1800 571 155 for assistance to book.

State of Play COVID-19 Pandemic: NSW Delta Variant Outbreak reached Day 31 today Friday, 16 July 2021 and as yet there is no end in sight

 

NSW Health, COVID-19 (Coronavirus) statistics,16 July 2021:

NSW recorded 97 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Of these locally acquired cases, 63 are linked to a known case or cluster – 49 are household contacts and 14 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 34 cases remains under investigation.

Forty-six cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 17 cases were in isolation for part of their infectious period. Twenty-nine cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of five cases remains under investigation.

One new overseas-acquired case was recorded in the same period. The total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic is now 6,527.

There have been 1,026 locally acquired cases reported since 16 June 2021, when the first case in the Bondi cluster was reported. 

There are currently 75 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 18 people in intensive care, five of whom require ventilation.

There were 77,587 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day’s total of 58,299.

NSW Health administered a record 22,568 COVID-19 vaccines in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, including 7,392 at the vaccination centre at Sydney Olympic Park.

The total number of vaccines administered in NSW is now 2,907,677 with 1,135,164 doses administered by NSW Health to 8pm last night and 1,772,513 administered by the GP network and other providers to 11.59pm on Wednesday 14 July…..

Of the 97 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night, 67 are from South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD), 14 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD, nine are from Western Sydney LHD, five are from Sydney LHD, one is from Northern Sydney LHD and one is from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD…… [my yellow highlighting]

As of 8pm 15 July 2021 – Day 30 of the Delta variant outbreak - only est. 35.57% of the total NSW resident population have received one or more doses of COVID-19 vaccine.

Because of the highly infectious nature of the Delta variant and the fact that the majority of COVID-19 cases sequenced in the week leading up to 3 July 2021 were identified as the Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1) and Delta/Kappa (B.1.617) variants, it is extremely important that every person within NSW state boundaries obey all public health orders.

UPDATE

NSW Health, media release, excerpt, 17 July 2021:

NSW recorded 111 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Of these locally acquired cases, 59 are linked to a known case or cluster – 47 are household contacts and 12 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 52 cases remains under investigation.

Sixty-nine cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and ten cases were in isolation for part of their infectious period. Twenty-nine cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of three cases remains under investigation.

Six new overseas-acquired cases were recorded in the same period. The total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic is now 6,644.

Sadly, a man in his late-80s from south-eastern Sydney died yesterday. NSW Health extends its sincere sympathies to his family.

There have been 1,137 locally acquired cases reported since 16 June 2021, when the first case in the Bondi cluster was reported.

There are currently 75 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 18 people in intensive care, six of whom require ventilation.

There were a record 81,970 COVID-19 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day's total of 77,587…… [my yellow highlighting]

Restrictions to further limit the spread of the COVID-19 Delta strain, effective from 11:59pm Saturday 17 July 2021, can be found here:

https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/restrictions-to-further-limit-spread-of-covid-19-delta-strain

COVID-19 State of Play: Progression of NSW Delta Variant Outbreak up to 12 July 2021

NSW Health, media release, 12 July 2021

Sometime between 17-18 June 2021 it is highly likely that it became obvious to state authorities that the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 which causes a highly infectious form of COVID-19 was now loose in New South Wales.

At that point the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in the state stood at 5,442 people, including interstate residents in NSW health facilities.

On 26 June 2021 the Berejiklian Government issued public health orders - eventually locking down Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Wollongong, Shell Harbour and the Central Coast.

By 8pm on Sunday 11 July 2021 the percentage of COVID-19 infections acquired in the community had grown to est. 92% of all confirmed new cases from all infection sources recorded since the Delta variant outbreak began in the state.

"NORMAN SWAN: This graph tells the story. The number of people who have been infectious while in the community keeps rising - day in, day out." [ABC “7.30” program, 12 July 2021]

To date there has only been one confirmed death in New South Wales due to COVID-19 infection since the new outbreak began on 17 June 2021.

NOTE:

See "2021 media releases from NSW Health" at

https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Pages/2021-nsw-health.aspx 

UPDATE

NSW Health, media release, 13 July 2021