Covid-19 Dubbo, western NSW outbreak: News and updates
Rolling coverage: A man with Covid has died at Dubbo Base Hospital and western NSW has reported another 60 new cases as John Barilaro earmarks a test and isolate payment rollout.
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A man in his 50s who had Covid has died at Dubbo Base Hospital, as Deputy Premier John Barilaro forecasts the introduction of a test and isolate payment for the region.
The man had significant underlying health conditions and is the first death in regional NSW during this current Covid outbreak.
On Monday NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said there were 60 new Covid cases in western NSW reported overnight.
Fifty-one of the new cases were in the Western NSW Local Health District and nine were in the Far West Local Health District.
Dubbo had 33 new cases, Wilcannia had seven, Bathurst had five, Bourke had 4, Broken Hill had two, Forbes had two, Orange had two, Parkes had two, Narromine had one, Brewarrina had one and Blayney had one.
It comes as Deputy Premier John Barilaro earmarked the introduction of a Test and Isolate payment to residents forced into 14-day quarantine acrossthe Dubbo Local Government Area.
“At this stage we are looking at extending it to the central west and the far west as we’ve got significant cases there,” the Deputy Premier said. “And we have an issue with testing, at this stage this is where it will be focused.”
Mr Barilaro said other regional areas had “nowhere near to the 50 plus cases a day and the 500 plus cases we are already seeing in Dubbo”.
“I’m focused on the two areas that I believe are significant and causing significant issue for the state,” he said.
UPDATE, 1pm August 29
A further 27 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in western NSW.
In the Western NSW Local Health District there were 25 cases, bringing the district’s total number of cases to 510 since the Delta outbreak began.
In the Far West Local Health District there were two new cases, bringing the district’s total number of cases to 71.
Across western NSW there have now been a total of 581 cases – the bulk of which (401) have been in Dubbo.
Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders said that of the new cases 18 were in Dubbo, three were in Narromine, two were in Bourke, one was in Nyngan and one was in Brewarinna.
“We‘ve also seen positive sewage detection at Trangie and Baradine, there are no confirmed cases in these communities so if you are in those communities we do urge you to come forward for testing,” he said.
Mr Saunders said that on Saturday only 3400 tests were carried out across the Western NSW LHD, which he described as a “very low number”.
UPDATE 1pm, August 28
A further 46 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in western NSW.
In the Western NSW Local Health District there were 42 cases, bringing the district’s total number of cases to 485 since the Delta outbreak began.
In the Far West Local Health District there were four new cases, bringing the district’s total number of cases to 69.
Across western NSW there have now been a total of 554 cases – the bulk of which (383) have been in Dubbo.
Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders said that of the new cases 32 were in Dubbo, six were in Bourke, four were in Wilcannia, two were in Wellington and Bathurst and Mudgee had one new case each.
He said up to 200 people a day were expected to be vaccinated at a new drive-through vaccination clinic now operating at Dubbo Showground.
Booking can be made on the Western NSW Local Health District website.
NSW Health has also encouraged residents in Baradine and Brewarrina to urgently come forward for testing after samples revealed traces of Covid-19 in local sewage systems.
UPDATE 5pm, August 27
The Western NSW Local Health District has advised there were no new cases of Covid-19 in Goodooga or the Brewarinna Shire.
Previously the organisation stated there were two cases in Goodooga, however a spokesperson said that was “an error caused by the duplication of previously-reported cases in captured data”.
UPDATE 12pm, August 27
An additional 49 Covid cases were recorded overnight in western NSW, with Dubbo remaining the epicentre of the outbreak.
The Far West Local Health District recorded nine new cases, all in Wilcannia.
Across the Western NSW Local Health District there were 25 cases in Dubbo, five in Bourke, four in Orange, four in Narromine and two in Goodooga.
The latest numbers show across both health districts there have been 495 cases of Covid-19 since the Delta outbreak began.
NSW Health has urged more residents in Tamworth, Merimbula, Picton and Nyngan to come forward for testing after fragments of the virus that causes Covid-19 were found in local sewage samples.
During a media update, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian also confirmed HSC exams have been delayed until November 9.
She said students across the state would begin a “staggered”return to class from October 25, with Kindergarten and Year One students the first back in classrooms.
“There has already been discussion with the university sector so no New South Wales student will be disadvantaged (by later exams), it means the marking period and adjusting of scores would happen until mid-January but the university sector is appreciative of that and can accommodate that,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Face-to-face learning will commence from October 25. It will be staggered.”
Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said Years 2, 6 and 11 students would return to schools on November 1, while the rest of students would return on November 8.
All staff at schools must be vaccinated by November 8, high school students and staff will be required to wear masks and primary students will be strongly encouraged to wear them.
If restrictions in parts of regional NSW were lifted earlier, the Premier said students would return when those restrictions were lifted.
UPDATE 1pm August 27
Another 35 new Covid cases were reported to 8pm last night in the Western NSW Local Health District.
NSW Health reports 25 of the cases were in Dubbo, three were in Orange, Bathurst and Bourke had two new cases while Mudgee, Parkes and Forbes had one new case each.
Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders later clarified 24 cases were in Dubbo and one was in Wellington.
Six cases were reported in the Far West Local Health District, five of those were in Wilcannia and one was in Broken Hill.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the regional NSW lockdown would be extended until at least 11:59pn on September 10.
There are now 446 cases linked to the Delta Covid outbreak in western NSW, including 389 in the Western NSW LHD and 57 in the Far West LHD.
UPDATE 2pm August 26
The number of Covid patients needing hospital beds in western NSW has hit a new high as case numbers across the region show no sign of slowing down.
Western NSW Local Health District chief executive Scott McLachlan said of the 15 patients with Covid now in hospital, five were being treated in intensive care units and two required ventilation.
“Across Dubbo, Mudgee, Rylstone, Gilgandra and up through to Walgett we are seeing a lot of need for patients to be admitted to hospital beds so there are some pressure on those services,” he said.
“Our staff are doing everything to try to care for you and your communities … please show some love and understanding for everyone around you. It’s a stressful time … we want to help everyone through this so as a community we come together.”
Mr McLachlan said the health district was recruiting more staff to fill shortages which have arisen as a result of 156 health staff needing to isolate.
“There’s no question vaccine is going to be our solution,” he said.
“We’ve seen an increase in the last couple of days quite rapidly, so we’ve now got across the whole of the region 54 per cent of the community with a first dose and 26 per cent with a second dose.
“That’s increased by around seven to eight per cent in the past two weeks.
“Disappointingly though, we’ve still got a very low rate of vaccination and particularly double vaccination for the Aboriginal community across western NSW. It’s down at around 6.3 per cent so can I please urge and ask all Aboriginal community leaders, elders and families to come and look for vaccination opportunities, it is urgent.”
UPDATE 11:30am August 25
The Western NSW Local Health District recorded a record 49 new Covid cases to 8pm Tuesday, bringing the region’s total to 369 since the Delta outbreak began two weeks ago.
NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said 35 new cases were in Dubbo, seven in Bourke, five in Orange, one in Narromine and one in Walgett.
In the Far West Local Health District there were seven new cases, including six at Wilcannia and one at Broken Hill.
That region has now recorded 50 Covid cases since the outbreak began.
The bulk of the Covid cases have been located in Dubbo, with 294 people catching the virus and 24 having recovered.
More than 100 venues of concern have been identified by NSW Health across western NSW.
The region went into lockdown two weeks ago and Australian Defence Force personnel were called in to help set up walk-in vaccination hubs and deliver support to vulnerable community members who have been ordered to isolate.
Local authorities will provide a further update about the situation in the state’s west at 12pm.
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