NSW has recorded 1,480 new local COVID-19 cases and nine more deaths

New South Wales has recorded 1,480 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and a further nine deaths.

The deaths recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday include a man in his 20s from western Sydney who died at Nepean Hospital.

“He was not vaccinated and also had serious underlying health conditions,” said Deputy Chief Health Officer Marianne Gale.

“Seven of the nine cases, of people who died that we’re reporting today were not vaccinated. One person had had one dose and one person had had two doses. All those individuals had underlying health conditions.”

The other deaths include a man in his 40s, a man in his 60s from Dubbo, a woman in her 60s, two men in their 70s, two men in their 80s and a man in his 90s.

There have been 148 COVID-19 related deaths in NSW during the current outbreak, and 204 in the state since the start of the pandemic.

There are currently 1,136 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital with 194 people in intensive care, 78 of whom require ventilation.

Of Wednesday’s cases, 891 were in Sydney’s west and south west, but health authorities are concerned about a rise in infections in Sydney’s inner west.

“We’re also concerned about case numbers in the areas of Glebe, Waterloo, Redfern, and Marrickville and I’d like to encourage the residents of those suburbs as well to please come forward for vaccination,” Ms Gale said.

“The Sydney local health district has set up some special Pfizer clinics where bookings can be made or walk-in appointments can be made for residents of those areas.”

In the regions, 27 cases were recorded in the Western Local Health District and seven in the Far Western Local Health District, which includes the small town of Wilcannia.

More than 31,000 people were vaccinated in the state yesterday, taking the total to 7,689,120. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said three quarters of the state’s eligible population have now received their first vaccine dose.

“New South Wales has satisfied another important hurdle,” the Premier told reporters on Wednesday,

“We will all rest once we get to at least 80 per cent first dose, knowing full well that we’ll hit that double 80 per cent vaccination rate as soon as we can.”

Source: sbs.com.au