NSW records 1542 new coronavirus cases and nine further deaths
There have been 1542 local cases of coronavirus in New South Wales in the past 24 hours as new freedoms for fully vaccinated residents are confirmed.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she expected cases to peak in the next week as she reported nine more deaths in people with COVID-19.
Seventy-six per cent of people in NSW have had their first dose, and 43.6 per cent have had their second shot.
“But as health experts have been saying, we are keen to see that first dose rate hit 80 and above and get as close to 90 as possible,” Ms Berejiklian said.
Ms Berejiklian has confirmed new freedoms will be available through NSW from Monday.
“If you live within an LGA of concern, obviously you can exercise unlimited, but if you have been vaccinated, your household can go out for a picnic or recreation for two hours every day in addition to the exercise,” she said.
“So you can exercise, but if you just want to sit down and have a picnic with your household, as long as the adults are vaccinated you are able to do so for a few hours every day as well.
“But that must be within the five kilometre radius requirement. Everything else stays the same. The curfew and the five kilometre radius.”
Ms Berejiklian said “adults” would be defined as over-18s.
No more 11am press conference
Ms Berejiklian has announced another change coming from Monday – the end of the daily press conference.
She said health information, including case numbers, deaths, and first and second-dose vaccine updates, would be provided by health staff through videolink.
“(Health Minister Brad Hazzard) and I will intermittently hold press conferences as required,” she said.
“The weekend, Sunday will be the last day we officially do press conferences in this way, but from Monday at 11am, NSW Health will provide their daily updates with all their figures.”
Nine more lives lost
NSW Deputy Chief Health Officer Dr Marianne Gale has detailed the deaths recorded yesterday:
- A man in his 60s from Western Sydney
- A man in his 70s from south-eastern Sydney
- A woman in her 40s from south-western Sydney
- A man in his 70s from Sydney’s southern suburbs
- A woman in her 50s from the Central Coast
- A man in his 60s from Western Sydney
- A woman in her 80s, also from Western Sydney
- A man in his 30s from the Nepean-Blue Mountains
- A man in his 50s from south-western Sydney
“All of these individuals had underlying health conditions. Three were fully vaccinated, three had had a single dose of a vaccine and three were unvaccinated,” Dr Gale said.
Dr Gale said there were 207 people with COVID-19 currently in intensive care, with 89 requiring ventilation.
“Of the 207 in ICU, we continue to see the majority are people who are not vaccinated.”
Areas of concern
Dr Gale has called on certain areas of NSW to be especially vigilant in coming days and weeks.
COVID-19 has been detected in sewage in Tamworth, Lightning Ridge, Glen Innes, Culburra Beach and Moruya in regional NSW.
No COVID-19 cases have been reported in those areas.
“We continue to see high case numbers in western and south-western Sydney, particularly Fairfield, Bankstown, Greenacre, Liverpool, Punchbowl, Auburn, Guildford and Merrylands,” Dr Gale said.
“As the premier mentioned, we remain concerned about emerging suburbs in the city of Sydney and the Inner West areas so if you live in those areas, similarly, please book in for your vaccination and be vigilant with symptoms, please come forward for testing.”
Path out of lockdown ‘leaves young people behind’
Meanwhile, there are fears the New South Wales roadmap out of lockdown is “inequitable” and could leave young people behind as their access to vaccines has been limited.
The NSW government revealed its plan for ending lockdown once 70 per cent of adults are fully vaccinated yesterday.
However, epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws told Today the roadmap was tilted towards easing restrictions for people aged over 40.
“One of the problems with the plan is that it’s inequitable, ” Professor McLaws said.
“I would really ask the authorities to find a way of ensuring that when they do open up, the young adults can actually be part of that, but they can’t at the moment, because they’ve really been left behind with vaccine opportunities.
“And so the authorities really should make a catch-up plan so the young really can get vaccinated faster than they have been able to.”
The reopening of the state is expected to happen in late October, possibly as early as October 18.
Some regional areas will be freed from stay at home orders from Saturday.
It’s hoped the promised freedoms will encourage more people to come forward and book in for a jab.
This comes as Year 12 students across New South Wales are due to get some clarity around their final exams today after months of coronavirus-driven home learning.
The HSC timetable is expected to be released this morning, with all written exams due to go ahead. Results are likely to be released in January.
Vaccine rollout boost
The vaccine rollout has received another boost overnight, with a new shipment of Pfizer doses arriving at Sydney Airport on board a Qantas flight.
The cargo, from the UK, includes 292,000 doses of the vaccine which is part of a swap deal totalling four million doses.
From today, everyone aged 18 and over will be able to get AstraZeneca at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena in a fresh “vaccine blitz”.
Advance bookings are not required, with the promise of free parking and no lengthy queues.
Doses of Moderna are expected to arrive in the country next week, to be rolled out in pharmacies towards the end of the month.
Meanwhile, residents living in communities in NSW and Queensland are awaiting news today on whether a border bubble will be reinstated between the two states.
Government officials met for high-level talks yesterday to discuss potential new arrangements. It would be welcome news for families separated and businesses crippled by border restrictions in areas such as Coolangatta and the Tweed.
However, parts of south-east Queensland are now on high alert after a COVID-19 positive truck driver from NSW spent two days in the area while infectious.
