NSW sets daily record with 1218 new local cases, six deaths - Sydney Morning Herald

NSW has recorded 1218 cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours - its highest daily tally.

Six people died, including three people in their 80s and three people in their 70s. Four were unvaccinated and two had one dose.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty providing an update on COVID-19. Credit:Edwina Pickles

There are 813 people in hospital. That includes 126 people in intensive care, of whom 54 require ventilators. Of those in ICU, 113 are not vaccinated, 12 have received one dose and one patient has received both doses.

Ms Berejiklian said west and south-west Sydney and western NSW remained the areas of greatest concern. Virus fragments have also been detected in Trangie, near Dubbo, as well as Byron Bay, Cooma and Tamworth - where there are not identified COVID-19 cases.

Sixty-five per cent of the state’s population have now had a first dose of the vaccine, and 35 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated.

“So we are halfway to that magic 70 per cent number across the state in order to have those extra freedoms,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“We expect that to land somewhere during October. But the next big target that I want us to achieve as a state is that 70 per cent single dose vaccination because then we will have confidence as to when we are going to [achieve] that double dose.”

Dr Jeremy McAnulty, from NSW Health, provided details about the deaths of six people:

• A man in his 80s from south-western Sydney died at Nepean Hospital; the fifth death linked to that outbreak. He was not vaccinated.
• A man in his 80s from Sydney’s inner west died at Concord Hospital; he is the fifth death linked to the Wyoming aged care facility. He was not vaccinated and had underlying illness.
• Two men in their 70s from south-west Sydney died at Liverpool Hospital.
• A man in his 70s and woman in her 80s died at Westmead Hospital.

The deaths and high case numbers follow the state recording 1035 new COVID-19 cases and two deaths on Saturday.

Earlier on Sunday, federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said 18.9 million vaccination doses had been administered across Australia in total, and that 57.5 per cent of the population had received their first dose.

“To put it another way, to get to the 70 percent from where we are, it’s less than 2.7 million additional Australians stepping forward,” Mr Hunt said.

“To get to the 80 per cent on first doses, it’s less than 4.7 million Australians, and we’re already over the 80 per cent mark for everybody over 60. Within the week, we will be over the 80 per cent mark for everybody over 50. That shows it can be done. We are on the pathway, we are getting there.”

He also said the death rate from COVID-19 in NSW during this outbreak had been 10 per cent of that in Victoria in 2020, showing that vaccinations are critical to saving lives.

“Just over 800 lives lost, agonisingly, last year [in Victoria]. Just over 80 lives lost, at this [similar] point in NSW. And there will be more, but the difference between those two is the vaccination rates, that’s what has saved lives,” Mr Hunt said.

He said COVID-zero was not an option, and that no country could avoid the virus forever. “There is no scenario under which any credible epidemiologist or advisor that I have seen says that any country can avoid this forever. And so, therefore, vaccination will save lives.”

Victoria recorded 92 new cases from 51,030 tests on Sunday; the state’s highest total since September 3 last year, when Victoria recorded 112 new cases in one day.

Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed Victoria will not be exiting lockdown in the coming week.
Mr Andrews said there had been too many cases which had spent a long time in the community while infectious.

“Essentially, we see far too many cases today for us to be able to seriously consider opening up later on this week,” he said.

“Obviously with almost 100 cases today, where many of them remain mysteries, many of them were out in the community during their infectious period, it’s just not going to be possible for us to be able to open up our Victorian community in just a couple of days.”

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NSW sets daily record with 1218 new local cases, six deaths - Sydney Morning Herald
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