NSW records 40 per cent surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalisations rise

NSW has entered a new COVID-19 wave as health authorities record a 40 per cent rise in cases and an increase in hospital admissions across the state.

There were 14,089 people diagnosed with COVID-19 in the week ending November 5, a 39.3 per cent rise since the previous week, the state’s latest COVID surveillance report found.

The report published on Thursday showed 310 COVID-19 cases were admitted to hospital and 25 to intensive care in the same week.

The seven-day rolling average of daily hospitalisations rose to 44 admissions by November 5 compared to 38 admissions at the end of the previous week.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the rise in hospitalisations was an important reminder of the need to be careful around people at high risk of severe illness, such as those in aged care facilities.

“Please be very cautious in visiting anyone in aged care facilities if you have come into contact with COVID or if you have any symptoms, however mild,” Chant said.

Emergency department presentations of people with COVID-19 who were sick enough to be admitted to hospital rose to 160 from 123 in the previous week.

The percentage of people who were positive in PCR tests also rose to 13.8 per cent of the 75,687 tests reported compared to 9.1 per cent the previous week.

Twenty-four people died with COVID-19 over the week ending November 5.

A mix of Omicron subvariants is driving this wave of transmissions. The BA.5 sub-lineage is the most dominant circulating subvariant, but the BA.2.75 sub-lineage has grown the most in recent weeks and there has also been an increase in cases of the XBB and BQ.1 subvariants, Chant said.

“All of these variants have the ability to some degree to escape immunity,” she said.

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