NSW records 1063 cases, 6 deaths as Victoria records 766 new cases, four deaths

NSW Covid-19 cases continue to rise as Victoria has recorded its highest daily Covid case figure this year from the Delta variant outbreak.

NSW has recorded another 1063 cases and six deaths as the Delta outbreak continues to spread.

One new case was acquired overseas, and one new case was acquired interstate, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 55,773.

Sadly, NSW Health is today reporting the deaths of six people with COVID-19 – four women and two men. Three people were from western Sydney, two people were from south western Sydney and one person was from Dubbo.

Of those who died, four people were not vaccinated. One person – a woman in her 90s – had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and one person – a woman in her 50s with significant underlying health conditions – had received two doses.

A woman in her 90s from Dubbo died at St Mary’s Villa Aged Care Facility in Dubbo where she acquired her infection. This is the fourth death linked to an outbreak at this facility.

NSW Health extends its sincere condolences to their loved ones.

NSW Health administered 35,121 COVID-19 vaccines in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, including 5,704 at the vaccination centre at Sydney Olympic Park.

Of the 1,063 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night, 294 are from South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD), 220 are from Western Sydney LHD, 139 are from Sydney LHD, 119 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD, 65 are from Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD, 64 are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, 43 are from Northern Sydney LHD, 41 are from Hunter New England LHD, 32 are from Central Coast LHD, 11 are from western NSW LHD, seven are from Far West LHD, two are from Murrumbidgee LHD, two are from southern NSW LHD, one is from northern NSW, one is from Mid North Coast LHD, nine are in correctional settings and 13 cases are yet to be assigned to an LHD.

NSW Health’s ongoing sewage surveillance program has detected fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 in sewage samples from Grafton in northern NSW.

The NSW government has also begun briefing industry groups that Oct­ober 11 will mark the state’s new “freedom day”.

The date is set to signal the official reopening of businesses, with the community expected to achieve 70 per cent vaccination coverage two weeks earlier than originally anticipated, The Australian reports.

But officials have conceded NSW’s vaccine validation technology is unlikely to be operational in time for the revised reopening date, raising concerns among some of confrontations with patrons and extra costs associated with front-of-house duties.

NSW is due to exit lockdown when the community achieves 70 per cent double vaccination coverage.

This was initially forecast to occur on October 25 but the rapid pace of vaccinations has seen that date revised to October 18 and now October 11.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

VICTORIA HAS 766 CASES, 4 DEATHS

Victoria has recorded 766 new local cases of coronavirus on Thursday, along with four more deaths.

There were 40,957 vaccine doses administered on Wednesday, while 62,408 test results were processed.

It’s the worst day of the state’s current outbreak, with 766 cases the highest daily case figure this year.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews says vaccination is the only way out of lockdown. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

About 74.4 per cent of Victorians have received their single dose for the vaccine and 45.2 per cent were double-dosed.

Health authorities continue to closely monitor transmission in Melbourne’s north after 57 per cent of Wednesday’s 628 cases were linked to the northern suburbs.

Deputy chief health officer Deb Friedam said there were 194 in the Hume local government area, 80 in Whittlesea, 47 in Moreland and 43 in Darebin.

QLD RECORDS ONE NEW LOCAL CASE

Queensland has reported one new locally acquired case of Covid-19 as residents rush to vaccination clinics to get free NRL finals tickets.

The new community case – a female student at St Thomas More College – is a close contact of a student who had infected in the Sunnybank outbreak, and has been in home isolation.

Chief health officer Jeanette Young expressed her gratitude to the girl’s family and said it showed how important it was to abide by quarantine rules.

“She actually tested positive day nine in home quarantine had been in home quarantine for her entire infectious period, so this just shows yet again how important it is that when people are asked to go into quarantine, they need to remain in quarantine for 14 days,” Dr Young said.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Thursday announced that there was also one new case that arrived in hotel quarantine in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

The announcement comes as footy fans are being enticed to pop-up clinics in Brisbane on Thursday and Friday with 3000 double passes to the weekend’s NRL preliminary finals at Suncorp Stadium up for grabs if they get the jab.

WA COVID CASE

Western Australia has recorded one new case of Covid-19 after an infected truck driver from NSW travelled into the state.

In a snap media conference, Health Minister Roger Cook said the truck driver tested negative on September 13, travelled into WA on the 16th of September and left on the 17th.

The driver tested positive after undergoing a test on September 18 while their co-driver returned a negative test.

A NSW truck driver travelled into WA while infectious with Covid-19. NCA NewsWire / Tony McDonough

At a separate press conference earlier today, Mr Cook said he wouldn't rule out making vaccination mandatory for the construction industry but the decision would be made based on the chief health officer’s advice.

He said he wanted to meet with representatives from the sector, hoping to avoid a situation like that in Victoria.

“I think it is fair to say he is looking at it. But we are looking at a range of measures where we might achieve the same outcome,” Mr Cook said.

It has previously been announced that all aged care workers must be vaccinated and all health care workers will need to be jabbed by next year.

Compulsory vaccination for the mining industry is also being considered.