NSW Covid updates: 199 new cases

NSW has recorded 199 new Covid cases with at least 50 of those infectious in the community as the premier revealed the state's vaccine goal for August. Read our Tuesday blog.

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NSW has recorded 199 new Covid cases with at least 50 of those infectious in the community. 

Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Tuesday warned residents who live in suburbs adjoining eight high-risk LGAs to be "extra careful."

NSW recorded 199 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Of these locally acquired cases, 88 are linked to a known case or cluster, 67 are household contacts and 21 are close contacts. Source of infection for 111 cases is under investigation. pic.twitter.com/KbBCwOjJ2Y

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 3, 2021

Health authorities have so far delivered 3.9 million Covid vaccinations across NSW, as the state heads towards a goal of administering six million jabs by the end of August.

"Six million jabs is roughly half the population with at least one or two doses. That gives us additional options as to what life looks like on 29 August," Ms Berejiklian said.

"We know that 10 million jabs gives us 80 per cent of the adult population vaccinated".

Follow live updates below.

Updates

12:29 pm August 3, 2021 Highlight

Sydney areas with lowest vaccine rates

Kaitlyn Hudson-O'Farrell

Clare Armstrong

New data shows which Sydney areas are lagging behind on Covid-19 vaccination rates. See the full list of immunisations by region.
Sydney’s southwest has one of the lowest overall vaccination rates in the state despite being hit hardest by the latest Covid-19 wave, with the remote west and northern parts of NSW also behind.

About 14.6 per cent of people aged 15 and over are fully vaccinated in Sydney’s south west, while the North Sydney and Hornsby area had the highest rate of double vaccination with 26.9 per cent.

For more on this story, click here.

12:27 pm August 3, 2021 Highlight

VIC's Covid update breakdown

Kaitlyn Hudson-O'Farrell

Victoria recorded four new local Covid cases today and one overseas.

Of Tuesday’s four new cases, two are linked to the Young & Jackson’s cluster, one is linked to the Coolaroo cluster and the other is a workplace contact of the Moonee Valley testing site.

Ten people are now in hospital with Covid-19 in Victoria. Three of those are in ICU, and one person is on a ventilator.

More than 90 per cent of primary close contacts have been cleared, with 536 cleared yesterday.
More than 3000 remain in quarantine.

For more on VIC's Covid latest, click here.

12:26 pm August 3, 2021 Highlight

Four cases for VIC but no relax on restrictions yet

Kaitlyn Hudson-O'Farrell

Victoria's four new Covid cases were all in isolation while infectious and are linked to previous cases but there's no word yet on restrictions easing.

Premier Daniel Andrews said it was still too early to guarantee restrictions would be further eased next week.

“Pleasingly we’ve seen very low case numbers and they’ve all been tucked away,” he said.

“We hope that trend continues and if it does we’ll get advice from the chief health officer and hopefully we’ll he able to take some positive steps.

“If we keep following these rules, as challenging as they are, then there’s every chance we’ll keep these numbers low, and with low numbers you have more options.”

12:22 pm August 3, 2021 Highlight

Vaccinated construction workers could leave eight LGAs: Premier

Kaitlyn Hudson-O'Farrell

Construction workers who get vaccinated could soon be able to leave the eight hot zone LGAs in western and southwest Sydney, the Premier has hinted.

Gladys Berejiklian said decisions on the level of freedom given to Greater Sydney residents all hinges on vaccination rates by the time we reach August 28.

"We'll be looking at the number of cases and the vaccination rates in cohorts of workers and in categories of people who we want to provide more freedom to," Ms Berejiklian said.

"I can't stress enough that our ability to live more freely on 29 August is dependent upon vaccination rates as a tool but also seeing those case numbers go down."

12:19 pm August 3, 2021 Highlight

No jabs yet for Year 12 outside western Sydney

Kaitlyn Hudson-O'Farrell

Dr Kerry Chant has ruled out vaccinating Year 12 students living outside the eight hot zone LGA's, claiming vaccine constraints mean "difficult" choices.

She said while HSC students working in places like supermarkets and fast food restaurants would likely be the next of the younger cohort to get a jab, it wasn't possible to do the entire Greater Sydney year group just yet.

"Yes, they would be a priority but at the moment we have constraints in the vaccines we've got available to offer them and at the moment, we have to make make choices and that's difficult," Dr Chant said.

12:15 pm August 3, 2021 Highlight

Keep casual aged care staff at same facilities: Dr Chant

Kaitlyn Hudson-O'Farrell

Dr Kerry Chant has called on aged care facilities using agency or casual staff to keep the same people coming back instead of hiring new ones for different days.

"We want to have least mobility of workers across multiple facilities so I would urge that people that are using agencies try to ask for the same agency staff," Dr Chant said.

"I think it will be really appropriate… I would also urge if you've got regular agency staff in your facility, making sure they have access to the vaccination immediately."

She also added aged care workers in regional NSW would remain a "priority" despite Pfizer doses being rediverted for Year 12 students in western Sydney.

"We will obviously consider all of those impacts and work with the Commonwealth, who is also supplying Pfizer vaccine to general practice in a number of those areas to look at access points," Dr Chant said.

"Certainly the greatest risk exists in south-western Sydney and western Sydney, so we have to put vaccination as part of our tools in protecting the community."

12:11 pm August 3, 2021 Highlight

Covid to be 'like flu eventually'

Kaitlyn Hudson-O'Farrell

The Delta strain and the Covid-19 virus will one day become "like the flu" to Australia's population, the state's top medical expert has said.

When asked about booster shots once overall immunity is achieved, Dr Kerry Chant said: "What will happen is it will be a bit like flu eventually, and we know we have bad flu seasons and we have many impacted and it's cyclical in terms of some of the flu impacts."

"But in the end we'll equilibrate with Covid, it will throw us a few curveballs so we'll have to have new updated vaccines."

12:05 pm August 3, 2021 Highlight

Antigen testing set for schools

Kaitlyn Hudson-O'Farrell

Health officials and schools are working in tandem to look at implementing rapid Covid-19 antigen testing once students go back to classrooms.

"We are working closely with industry and also with the school sector to look at how to use
whatever testing methods will be most appropriate," Dr Chant said.

"We see a significant usage for the rapid antigen tests, particularly in industry and we're just working through the issues in schools in terms of what would be the appropriate risk mitigations we put in place."

12:00 pm August 3, 2021 Highlight

'No animosity' towards soldiers on streets

Kaitlyn Hudson-O'Farrell

Soldiers hitting the streets to help police with Covid compliance have seen no backlash from local communities in Sydney's west, a top cop has shared.

NSW Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys said ADF troops across Greater Sydney had seen "no animosity" towards them.

"We haven't seen any animosity at all. In fact, not just in south-west Sydney, (residents) have seen what the ADF can supply in terms of this operation," Dep Comm Worboys said.

"The vast majority of people, are quite happy to make sure that the ADF are welcomed in any part across the state."

It comes following criticism of the news soldiers would be deployed amongst suburbs with a high proportion of refugee residents.

11:45 am August 3, 2021 Highlight

Small grocers higher risk than large supermarkets: Dr Chant

Kaitlyn Hudson-O'Farrell

Health officials are more concerned about smaller supermarkets than large grocery retailers, Dr Kerry Chant has shared.

She said while there had been transmission in a "small number" of supermarkets, infected people visiting large stores hadn't always transmitted the virus.

"We don't actually think the large supermarkets are a great risk," Dr Chant said.

"The venues we're concerned about are the smaller grocery stops, the smaller facility where you might have a large number of people congregating."

She added: "We're urging for those small businesses that they minimise the number in the shop, people wait outdoors, just to avoid points where you might have that interaction."