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Live Breaking News: Urgent warning for new areas of Sydney
NSW Health officials have flagged new suburbs as growing hotspots for Covid-19 cases as the state recorded its worst day of the pandemic.
Welcome to our live Covid coverage, looking at the situation in NSW.
The numbers continue to soar in Australia's largest state - with a record 1290 cases being detected overnight. There were also four deaths.
One of the biggest warnings from today's press conference was about the suburbs of most concern in Sydney where cases are skyrocketing, the fact and we're now seeing cases from those suburbs spill over into neighbouring suburbs.
Dr Kerry Chant said suburbs such as Ryde and Meadowbank, while Guildford, Merrylands, Auburn, Greenacre, Punchbowl are “seeing such a high case rate”.
She said health authorities are continuing to observe a viral “spillover” in adjacent LGAs, which is “usually from workers going into those LGAs of concern and bringing them back and infecting their families”.
"Be very careful in the way you move about in your community," she said. "We are also seeing some spill over into adjacent local government areas and that is usually from workers going into those local government areas of concern and bringing them back and affecting the families.
"Ryde and Meadowbank and some inner west suburbs such as Marrickville where we are seeing the introduction (of the virus) in factories and other workplaces. It is important that all workplaces consider their Covid safe plans."
Follow our live coverage below. You can follow our Victoria coverage here.
Updates
That's all from me today
Australia records first Indigenous Covid death
A man in his 50s is understood to be Australia’s first Indigenous person to have died from Covid-19, as the number of deaths caused by the pandemic surpasses 1000 across Australia, NCA Newswire's James Hall reports.
NSW reported four new deaths on Monday including the man in his 50s at the Dubbo Hospital who chief health officer Kerry Chant said had “significant underlying health conditions”.
Health authorities confirmed to NCA NewsWire the man was Aboriginal and although the top doctor refused to reveal any details about the deceased patient she revealed anxiety over the spread of the virus in the state’s west among isolated and vulnerable communities.
Detail shows Victoria is beating NSW
Chief health officer Brett Sutton has revealed how Victoria’s outbreak is “stabilising” compared with how the NSW outbreak took off last month, NCA's Jack Paynter reports.
Victoria has recorded more than 50 local cases on nine of the past 11 days, but Professor Sutton said the state’s number of days from when Victoria had 50 cumulative cases in July was “relatively flat compared to how it took off in NSW”.
But Professor Sutton acknowledged that Victoria was still in a very challenging position.
Canberra outbreak rises to 242
The ACT has recorded 12 new Covid-19 infections bringing the national capital’s total outbreak to 261.
Of the 12 new cases, two were in quarantine for their entire infectious period while at least six were out in the community.
Six of the transmission are linked to existing cases. Four remain under investigation and another two have no known links at this stage.
''Be very careful' in Sydney's worst suburbs
One of the biggest warnings from today's press conference was about the suburbs of most concern in Sydney where cases are skyrocketing, the fact and we're now seeing cases from those suburbs spill over into neighbouring suburbs.
Dr Chant said suburbs such as Ryde and Meadowbank, while Guildford, Merrylands, Auburn, Greenacre, Punchbowl are “seeing such a high case rate”.
She said health authorities are continuing to observe a viral “spillover” in adjacent LGAs, which is “usually from workers going into those LGAs of concern and bringing them back and infecting their families”.
"Be very careful in the way you move about in your community," she said.
"We are also seeing some spill over into adjacent local government areas and that is usually from workers going into those local government areas of concern and bringing them back and affecting the families.
"Ryde and Meadowbank and some inner west suburbs such as Marrickville where we are seeing the introduction (of the virus) in factories and other workplaces. It is important that all workplaces consider their Covid safe plans."
According to the NSW Health website, there are 27 active cases in Marrickville and 16 in Dulwich Hill next door.
One suburb further west is Hurlstone Park, on the edge of high-risk Local Government Area of Canterbury-Bankstown, where there are 37 active cases.
Summer Hill has 34 active cases, while there are 47 in Ashfield.
Further into the Canterbury-Bankstown LGA, Campsie has 210 active cases while Lakemba has 313.
– with NCA NewsWire
Concern for Indigenous communities after death
Dr Chant would confirm if the person who died of Covid-19 in western NSW was Indigenous – but said authorities are "particularly concerned" about the rise in cases in the state's west.
The man in his 50s died at Dubbo Hospital.
“I am not in a position to confirm the nature of the person who died or give out any other medical conditions without first talking to the family,” Dr Chant said.
“Any death is tragic and we are particularly concerned about the case numbers in far west and western NSW because of the over-representation of Aboriginal people and the likelihood that COVID will be – and is – touching Aboriginal people disproportionately.”
Dr Chant said there were “strong vaccination efforts” in Aboriginal communities in NSW and called on community leaders to encourage high uptake.
53 new cases in NZ
New Zealand has reported 53 new cases of COVID-19 in the community, all in Auckland.
On Sunday, New Zealand reported 83 new cases, marking its worst day of the Delta outbreak yet.
137 people in ICU and pressure on the system
Currently, there are 840 Covid-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 137 people in intensive care, 48 of whom require ventilation.
Ms Berejiklian is asked what October will look like for our hospitals, if kids can go back to school and some restrictions are eased.
She said vaccinations will start to play a big role by then.
"The hospitalisation rate is not necessarily related transmission," she said. "It is the accumulation of over time.
"Once you get to October and 70% double dose, the chance of our citizens, the proportion of our citizens ending up in hospital or intensive care greatly reduces so we have to be aware of those facts.
"The rate of hospitalisation, the rate of people going into intensive care goes down."
'October is likely to be our worst month'
Ms Berejiklian is speaking about pressure on the state's hospital system as cases rise.
She said October will be the greatest challenge for the state.
"At this stage we know that we are hopeful that once we get those vaccination rates up, the rate of hospitalisation declines and we also know from the information we have, the accumulation of cases and the number unvaccinated, that October is likely to be our worse month in terms of pressure on the system and that is why we have gearing up for that and we have been nearly two years," she said.
"Our hospital system is under pressure. Will we need to do things differently? Of course, we will.
"We will need to manage things differently because we are in the middle of a pandemic but we will cope and that is why we are keeping a keen eye on those figures but even after we get to 80% double dose, we are going to see more cases
"But if the majority of the population is vaccinated, the majority of those cases will not need to be in hospital and that is why it is important to focus on those numbers to ensure our hospital system is not overwhelmed."
Paramedic's plea to NSW residents
Paramedic Joe Ibrahim is giving an emotional account of the type of incidents he has been called to in recent days.
"Our role as paramedics is physically and mentally demanding. One of the most physical demanding things we do is perform CPR. In the current climate, we need to perform CPR in full PPE," he said.
"To give you an understanding of what that is, we are wrapped up in a plastic gown that is not breathable.
"It is to ensure that the virus is not get into our lungs. We have glasses and gloves on. We wear this for the majority of our 12 hour shift and it takes its toll. We wear this to not only protect us to protect our family, to protect the broader community and your family.
"When I joined this profession, years ago now, I knew that it came with a level of risk to serve our community. For the very first time though, I am bringing this risk due to this contagious virus home to my wife and my beautiful boys."
"I know and take comfort in the fact that vaccinations break the chain of transmission and I am grateful to be vaccinated. This truly does give me comfort and this is another reason why I stand here today asking you will to go and get vaccinated."
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