Gladys Berejiklian to release Covid-19 outbreak modelling, showing worse yet to come for NSW
Gladys Berejiklian is preparing to release modelling that shows the true extent of the Delta outbreak – and reveal that things are going to get much worse.
Illness
Don't miss out on the headlines from Illness. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Gladys Berejiklian is preparing to release devastating modelling plotting the Covid-19 outbreak, showing the worst is yet to come for New South Wales.
The Premier has repeatedly warned that daily new cases will continue to rise, despite the long and painful lockdown, but the exact details haven’t been communicated.
“All the modelling indicates to us that the peak is likely to be here in the next week or two, and the peak in hospitalisation and intensive care is likely to be with us in October,” Ms Berejiklian said on Sunday.
“I will present the modelling this week which will include not only what is foreshadowed to be a peak in cases but also the peak in hospitalisation, the peak in intensive care. They are relevant factors.”
Ms Berejiklian hopes that the new modelling, which will detail the coming stages of the outbreak, will provide confidence in the health care system rather than spark fear.
“What we want to do this week is provide community assurance that even when we anticipate a worst-case scenario of the number of people likely requiring hospitalisation and intensive care, that our system has made the plans for surge capacity,” she said.
“You will hear it from the clinicians who put the plan together, and why it is a good plan, but it does not mean it is not going to be stretched, that our frontline workers will not be stretched.”
But it’s likely to provide little comfort to lockdown-fatigued residents, particularly those in Sydney who have endured more than 10 weeks of a shut-in.
NSW is under increasing pressure as the Delta outbreak takes its toll across multiple functions, but particularly the health sector.
The number of people hospitalised with Covid-19 has been rapidly increasing each week.
On Sunday there were 1,030 people in hospital with the virus, while a week before that the figure was 813 and a week before that, on August 22, 557 were being treated in hospital.
The rising tide of covid cases and hospitalisations has caused concern for frontline workers.
The Australian Paramedics Association NSW warned that unless they are better resourced they will struggle to respond to emergencies during the outbreak’s peak.
“When we are stuck at hospital, we can‘t respond to triple-0 calls,” the group posted on social media.
The rising tide of Covid cases and hospitalisations has caused concern for frontline workers.
The Australian Paramedics Association NSW warned that unless they are better resourced they will struggle to respond to emergencies during the outbreak’s peak.
“When we are stuck at hospital, we can‘t respond to triple-0 calls,” the group posted on social media.
“We have been warning the NSW Government that we have been under-resourced for years. We need more than empty thanks.
“We need urgent action to address this under-resourcing crisis, and urgent welfare and wellbeing support for Paramedics.”
Originally published as Gladys Berejiklian to release Covid-19 outbreak modelling, showing worse yet to come for NSW
Shock ‘aggressive’ cancer finding revealed
Young adults who develop colon cancer tend to be diagnosed at later stages – and have more aggressive tumours, new research has found.
If you’re depressed, stop eating this right now
If you’re one of the 1 in 7 Aussies currently living with depression, you’ll want to hear this advice from a renowned psychiatrist.