Following on from SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron Variants in NSW and Northern NSW, 1-11 December 2021 and
SARS-CoV-2 Delta & Omicron Variants in NSW and Northern NSW, December 2021 - Part Two.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus entered Australia on 15 January 2020 and the country became part of a global pandemic. By 26 March that year there had been 2,779 confirmed cases of Covid-19 infections, 1,219 of which were recorded in New South Wales. At that point the national death toll stood at 13 individuals.
By 15 June 2021 the cumulative national total of confirmed COVID-19 cases stood at 30,274 cases, including 910 deaths. However, nationally the total number of active cases on that day was just 116 cases and only 27 of those 116 people were hospitalized.
It seemed as though Australia might have a good chance of beating the virus back by the end of 2021.
Then on 16 June 2021 the more infectious SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant was found to have entered Australia and daily infection numbers began to grow rapidly as the outbreak spread across New South Wales and Victoria and entered other states and territories.
As
at 3pm on 19 September 2021, the national cumulative total of confirmed COVID-19 cases had risen to 85,629 cases, including 1,162 deaths, and
approximately 19,595 active cases. On 31 October 2021, that total had grown to 170,458 confirmed cases, including 1,734 deaths, and approximately 25,917 active cases.
The Morrison Government announced that Australia's international border was reopening from 1 November 2021.
The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant was reported to have entered Australia at Sydney International Airport on 27 November 2021.
By 1 December, although the national cumulative total and death toll was still rising (211,655 cases including 2,011 deaths), the number of active cases was was falling (14,808) and hospital admissions stood at 532 individuals with 71 in intensive care. However by 15 December 2021 the numbers did not look as hopeful with a cumulative total of 235,562 confirmed cases of COVID-19 including 2,117 deaths and, approximately 18,025 active cases and 625 hospital admission with 109 in intensive care as of that Wednesday. At this point NSW had recorded 88,595 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 641 deaths since January 2020.
From one regional perspective this is the situation as it continues to unfold .....
On 15 December 2021 the NSW Perrottet Government reduced public health order restrictions to a minimum.
Masks
are only required on public transport and planes, at airports, in
hospitals and healthcare facilities, and for indoor front-of-house
hospitality staff who are not fully vaccinated
No
density limits for all settings
COVID
safety plans will be optional for businesses
Fully
vaccinated contacts only have to isolate until they receive a
negative PCR result. However, household close contacts and close
contacts in any other settings identified by NSW Health are still be
required to isolate for seven days and comply with PCR testing
requirements.
Based on NSW Health & Northern NSW Local Health District, media release excerpts, COVID-19 data for 15 -16 December 2021:
#
NSW
recorded 1,742 new
cases of
COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on
Wednesday 15 December 2021.
A
total of 122 cases of
COVID-19 with the Omicron variant of concern
have been confirmed in NSW.
There
are currently 192 COVID-19
cases admitted to hospital,
with 26 people in intensive care, eight of whom require ventilation.
Across
NSW, 93.3%
of people aged 16 years and
over and 77.8%
of people 12 to 15 years of age
are fully vaccinated.
Of
the 1,742 cases reported to 8pm last night, 633 are from Hunter New
England Local Health District (LHD), 231 are from South Eastern
Sydney LHD, 188 are from South Western Sydney LHD, 166 are from
Western Sydney LHD, 159 are from Sydney LHD, 111 are from Northern
Sydney LHD, 81
are from Northern NSW LHD,
43 are from Central Coast LHD, 38 are from Western NSW LHD, 28 are
from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, 23 are from Illawarra Shoalhaven
LHD, 14 are from Mid North Coast LHD, five are from Murrumbidgee
LHD, four are from Far West LHD, three are from Southern NSW LHD,
and 15 are yet to be assigned to an LHD. [
my yellow highlighting]
To
date in December 2021 a total of 294 Northern
NSW residents have become infected with COVID-19.
To
8pm 15 December, the 81
new cases of COVID-19 in
Northern NSW were in 6 of the 7 local government areas in the region:
- Byron
Shire
– 65
cases
across
postcodes 2479, 2481, 2482, 2483;
- Ballina
Shire
– 9 cases
across postcodes 2477 &
2478;
- Lismore
City
– 4 cases across postcode 2480;
- Richmond
Valley – 1
case in
postcode 2470;
- Tweed
Shire
– 1
case possibly in postcode 2487;
- Clarence
Valley –
1 case in postcode 2460.
TOTAL 81
#
NSW
recorded 2,213
new cases of
COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm Thursday
16 December 2021, including 1 death.
A
total of 185 cases of COVID-19 with the Omicron variant of
concern have been confirmed in NSW to date .
There
are currently 215 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 24
people in intensive care, eight of whom require ventilation.
Across
NSW, 93.3% of people aged 16 & over and 77.9% of people aged 12
to15 years are fully vaccinated.
- Of
the 2,213 cases reported to 8pm last night, 674 are from Hunter New
England Local Health District (LHD), 279 are from South Eastern
Sydney LHD, 266 are from Western Sydney LHD, 261 are from South
Western Sydney LHD, 204 are from Sydney LHD, 165 are from Northern
Sydney LHD, 96 are from Northern
NSW LHD, 88 are from Central Coast LHD, 32 are from Illawarra
Shoalhaven LHD, 30 are from Mid North Coast LHD, 29 are from Western
NSW LHD, 25 are from Murrumbidgee LHD, 25 are from Nepean Blue
Mountains LHD, seven are from Southern NSW LHD, four are from Far
West LHD, and 28 are yet to be assigned to an LHD. [my
yellow highlighting]
Due
to infection numbers continuing to grow, on 16 December the official stress
level for the entire NSW public hospital system had reached RED
status once more.
To
8pm on 16 December, 96 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in
5 of the 7 local government areas in Northern NSW:
- Byron
Shire – 57 cases across postcodes 2479, 2481, 2482,
2483;
- Ballina
Shire – 18 cases across postcodes 2477, 2478;
- Lismore
City – 9 cases across postcode 2480;
- Tweed
Shire – 8 cases across postcodes 2484, 2485, 2487, 2489;
- Clarence
Valley – 4 cases across postcodes 2464, 2465, & possibly
2460;
- Richmond
Valley – 0 cases;
TOTAL 96
There
is currently one COVID-positive patient in hospital in Northern NSW.
To
date, no cases in NNSWLHD have been confirmed as the Omicron variant
of concern.
On 16 December 2021 NSW Health tweeted that it had "temporarily restricted visitors to healthcare facilities due to increasing transmission rates with the emergence of the Omicron variant....Local Health Districts will apply a risk assessment to allow local exemptions on a case-by-case basis. Any person permitted to visit must be fully vaccinated, agree to wear a mask and follow advice from healthcare staff."*
