The 15th COVID-19 related death linked to the current outbreak that began in June, New South Wales Health reported today. This brought the total of COVID-related deaths in the state to 71 since the start of the pandemic early last year.
The 90-year-old man from south west Sydney died in Liverpool Hospital. He had received one dose of the Astra Zeneca vaccine.
NSW Health said that there were 207 COVID cases in the state reported to 8pm on Sunday night. Four of the new cases were residents of the Wyoming Residential Aged Care Facility at Summer Hill in Sydney’s Inner West. The latest cases bring the total number of people affected at the facility to 14 people including one staff member.
The department said that there 232 people with COVID who had been admitted to hospital – 54 were in intensive care and 25 of these needed ventilation equipment.
Over the same period, 14,497 COVID-19 vaccines were administered.
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Meanwhile, the ABC reported that NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian said the diversion of vaccines from regional NSW to give to year-12 students in Sydney had been done in the best interests of public health.
“Can I stress how important it is for us to get year 12 students able to complete their HSC exams and make sure that they have those qualifications they have worked hard for,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The premier told reporters this morning that the aim was to achieve an 80 percent rate of vaccinations in the state and added that the possibility of lifting restrictions would arise once the rate of vaccination reached 50 per cent – although this would also depend on the number of cases at the time.