A fully vaccinated man is in intensive care with Covid-19 as NSW recorded six deaths and 1218 new local cases overnight.
NSW has recorded six deaths and 1218 new local cases of Covid-19 overnight, with the escalating outbreak in southwestern Sydney causing extra concern for health authorities.
Among the deaths were three people aged in their 80s and three aged in their 70s.
Four of them were unvaccinated and two of them had only had one dose of the vaccine.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of those six individuals,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
“Obviously, western Sydney and southwestern Sydney remain those areas of most concern in greater Sydney, and western NSW remains the greatest area of concern in regional NSW.”
Jeremy McAnulty, from NSW Health, gave a further breakdown of the deaths.
He said a man in his 80s from southwestern Sydney died at Nepean Hospital after acquiring his infection there earlier this month.
“He’s the fifth death linked to the outbreak of that hospital. He was not vaccinated,” he said.
A man in his 80s from Sydney’s inner west died at Concord Hospital after acquiring his infection at Wyoming Aged Care facility. He is the fifth death linked to that outbreak.
“He was not vaccinated and had underlying illnesses,” Dr McAnulty said.
Two men in their 70s from southwestern Sydney died at Liverpool Hospital, while a man in his 70s and a woman in her 80s, both from western Sydney, died at Westmead Hospital.
“I express my deepest sympathy for the families and friends of these people who have died,” Dr McAnulty said.
There have now been 89 deaths since the outbreak began on June 16 and the number of infections has climbed to more than 17,000.
Dr McAnulty said there were currently 813 people in hospital with the virus, including 126 in intensive care and 54 who require ventilation.
Of those 126 people, 113 were not vaccinated and 12 had received one dose of vaccine and one had received two jabs.
“The vaccine is great, we know it is around 90 per cent — if you are fully vaccinated — of protecting from severe disease, hospitalisation and death. But it’s not perfect, it’s not 100 per cent,” Dr McAnulty said.
“Unfortunately, we do get breakthrough infection sometimes, even in people who have had to doses.
“But it’s uncommon and we’re seeing most people having had no vaccine, or perhaps just one.”
Dr McAnulty conceded there were a lot of people in hospital, but said detailed planning had been done to ensure there was capacity for additional people who needed intensive care.
“We’re always worried and our aim is, from a public health point of view, to minimise people with infection and particularly protect people who are more vulnerable and therefore may require hospitalisation or ventilation,” he said.
“Part of the strategy is the current lockdown, the contact tracing we are doing, but really importantly, the vaccines.
“We know that the vaccine works much better than, say, a flu vaccine.
“Please go and get a vaccine if you haven’t already done so. Both to protect yourself, from going into hospital, but also to protect from transmission to other people.”
Dr McAunulty flagged some suburbs where the virus was rapidly spreading and urged residents to follow Covid-safe protocols.
“The suburbs with the most cases and where we are most concerned about continue to be around the areas of Guildford, Merrylands, Auburn, Greenacre, Bankstown, Punchbowl and Blacktown,” he said.
Sewage surveillance has also detected some further pings in some places where there were no cases in regional NSW.
These include Trangi, just west of Dubbo, Byron Bay on the north coast, Cooma and Tamworth.
“We are concerned there may be cases unrecognised in these communities, so please come forward for testing if you have even the mildest of symptoms,” Dr McAnulty said.
“We want to make sure you are cared for, but also your family and community are protected, if you do happen to have Covid.”
Ms Berejiklian said case numbers were “always concerning” when they went up, but they were not the most relevant figures.
“The most relevant number for NSW is how many people are vaccinated and how many people are we keeping out of hospital and out of intensive care, and that is what is really important for us moving forward,” she said.
“We have to come to terms with living with this virus and the best way we can do that is by protecting ourselves and our loved ones by having high vaccination rates.”
The Premier also reiterated that more freedoms would be allowed when vaccination rates hit 70 per cent.
“We are halfway to that magic 70 per cent number across the state in order to have those extra freedoms,” she said.
NSW Covid-19: Further 1218 new local cases of coronavirus, six deaths | news.com.au — Australia's leading news site - NEWS.com.au
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