NSW Health says most Covid patients in hospital unvaccinated

NSW Health says most of the people in hospital with Covid have the Delta strain, not Omicron, as the Health Minister dished out some “pragmatic” advice.

Only a handful of Covid-19 cases in intensive care are believed to be infected with the dominant Omicron strain, with NSW Health revealing they believe it is Delta that is putting people in hospital.

In news that is likely to reassure vaccinated residents, NSW Health also said that 34 out of 52 patients in ICU are unvaccinated and it is understood that an overwhelming amount have pre-existing health conditions.

The promising findings come as Health Minister Brad Hazzard and Premier Dom Perrottet said everyone in Australia should prepare to catch Covid-19 — but assured the public there was no need to cancel New Year’s Eve plans or skip jam-packed events such as shopping sales.

“Everybody in NSW is probably going to get Omicron at some stage. Everyone in Australia,” Mr Hazzard said on Sunday.

All you need to know about current Covid situation

TESTING
NSW has more than 300 testing locations with reports of four hour queues. The average waiting time for results is between 48-72 hours.
“If you don’t need a test, please don’t sit in those queues, that is taking the place of somebody who is unwell,” said premier Dom Perrottet.

What do you do if you have a positive rapid antigen test?
If the rapid test is positive, you should get a PCR test as soon as possible and isolate until a negative PCR result.

What do you do if your PCR test is positive?
- Isolate for at least 10 days and inform your household, employer, place of education and any other people you met from two days before you became sick or got tested.
- If you are younger than 50, fully vaccinated, do not have any chronic conditions or are pregnant, you can self-manage Covid-19.
- If you still have no symptoms for 72 hours, 10 days after your positive test, you can leave isolation. 

BOOSTERS
You can get a booster through your GP, at a NSW Health vaccination hub, or through a pharmacy.
From January 4, you can get a booster four months after your second dose.
After January 31, you can get a booster three months after your second dose.

REQUIREMENTS
QR codes will be mandatory in most settings including retail and hospitality from December 27.
For shopping centres, you only need to check into the centre and not each individual retailer.

CONTACT RULES
You’re a close contact if you live with a positive case or have spent four or more hours with a positive case.
You need to isolate for seven days and get a PCR test straight away and again on day six. If negative, you feel well and haven’t had further contact with a positive case – you can leave isolation. For the next seven days, work from home where possible and don’t go to hospitals, aged care, disability care or prisons even if you work there. Get tested again on day 12.

EVENTS
No restrictions on New Year’s Eve events - “take personal responsibility, socially distance, follow the rules,” says Perrottet.
Density limits have been introduced in hospitality so some restaurants will be cancelling bookings. 

TRAVEL
What each state’s travel requirements are now:

Queensland
- Must have entry pass
- Must be fully vaccinated and have a negative PCR result within 72 hours before arrival
- This will be reviewed on January 1 but no changes are promised.

Victoria
- No permit needed regardless of vaccination status unless you have been overseas in the past 14 days

SA
- Apply through EntryCheck SA
- No PCR test required but need to take a rapid antigen test with a negative result

Tasmania
· Register through the Tas e-Travel system
· Unvaccinated travellers must obtain approval to enter Tasmania and have a negative PCR test within 72 prior to arrival
· Any traveller who has spent time in a high-risk area in NSW must apply for approval to enter Tasmania

WA
· Must obtain a G2G Pass, undertake 14 days quarantine and receive a negative PCR test within 72 hours prior to arrival 
· All travellers must also be fully vaccinated and undertake Covid tests on day one, five and 12

NT
· Travellers must complete a Border Entry Form and receive a negative PCR test within 72 prior to arrival
· must then test negative within 72 hours after arriving and on day six

ACT
· No permit requirement unless you are a close contact. Close contacts can apply for an exemption

“From early indications NSW Health believe the majority of ICU Covid patients have the Delta variant. Health are seeking to confirm this through additional tests.”

Mr Hazzard also dished out some “pragmatic” advice in the face of a further 6394 cases in NSW — including a suggestion to choose rapid antigen tests over the more accurate PCR tests because of a delay in getting results back.

He also suggested sufferers could self-manage Covid-19 with fluids and Panadol and should be able to leave a 10-day isolation without medical clearance.

“If you have a test today and then you are visiting Aunty Mabel in three or four days, it may well be that by then, you are positive,’’ he said. “A far simpler, far quicker measure would be simply to be get a rapid antigen test … preferably half an hour or an hour beforehand.

“If you’re not particularly sick, you probably don’t need to be doing very much except probably taking some Panadol if you’ve got a temperature and making sure you’re drinking plenty of fluids.”

Premier Dominic Perrottet and Health Minister Brad Hazzard. Picture: Julian Andrews

Mr Hazzard said these measures will help reduce strain on the healthcare workforce which is “run off their feet” and currently grappling with 2000 staff off work isolating because they have either tested positive or are a close contact.

Public Health Orders currently in place require a positive case to be cleared by NSW Health or a doctor before they can leave self-isolation, but Mr Hazzard reassured people going against these laws that they will not be fined $5000 by the police because NSW Health guidelines supported the new approach.

“(On day 10) you may get advice from NSW Health by way of a text giving you some advice but if you don’t and you are symptom free, you are entitled to leave your home,’’ he said. “You don’t need to wait for someone to give you (approval). You are very unlikely at that point to be infectious and that again will take the pressure off everybody as long as we realise we don’t need to be rushing out to get medical approval to get out.”

Mr Perrottet and Mr Hazzard observe booster shots being administered on Sunday. Picture: Pool

The suggestions aligned with Mr Perrottet’s emphasis on personal responsibility which he said will become more commonplace in 2022 with the rollout of free rapid antigen tests in the works.

“This will be the new normal – personal responsibility, living with Covid,” he said.

But despite Mr Perrottet hoping that widespread accessibility to rapid antigen kits will help ease pressure on the state’s testing clinics, there is no guarantee the other states will come to the table and support NSW by waving off tourism testing demands.

Mr Perrottet (pictured right) again thanked Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk for agreeing to review PCR testing requirements for NSW travellers.

But the sunshine state has made no promises as their Treasurer Cameron Dick responded on Sunday that no changes were confirmed.

“We’ve said we’ll consider that over time and look at how the current policy position of the government may be changed from January 1, but there is no change to that position at the moment,” he said.

“But we will continue to monitor it and take health advice.”

It comes as an optimistic Mr Perrottet, who walked his talk for promoting boosters by getting his third dose on Sunday, refused to discourage people from attending shopping sales or end-of-year festivities, despite earlier warning people not to “mingle” too much.

“Take personal responsibility, socially distance, follow the rules that are in place … but we are about instilling confidence in our people, confidence has been key. Whether that’s consumer confidence, business confidence,” he said. “We are going to get through it … let’s not look at the negative, let’s look at the positive.”

The comments will offer relief to retailers looking to the annual end of year sales event as their saviour in 2021 – but Mr Perrottet fell short of promising struggling businesses any compensation as they face the risk of closing down due to furloughed staff.

“We’ve always said we will adjust our settings based on circumstances we find ourselves in … throughout the entire pandemic, and this is as a Liberal government, we have said that we will put our people and our businesses before our budget,” he said. “We have done that time and again.’’