There were 244 new cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWHD) to 8pm 29 December.
Once again the Byron Shire is leading significantly in the numbers at 113 new COVID cases while Tweed Shire has 69. This is followed by Ballina Shire who have 30 new cases, Lismore local government area (LGA) has 15, Clarence Valley Shire has 13, and Kyogle and Richmond Valley Shires both have two new COVID cases.
‘There are 12 COVID-19 positive patients in hospital in Northern NSW, with 3 of these in ICU,’ said a spokesperson for the NNSWHD.
‘Northern NSW Local Health District is urging people to get tested for COVID-19 at the first sign of symptoms and isolate until a negative result is received. All Northern NSW hospital testing clinics are open over the holiday period.’
Clinics run by other providers may have different hours in the holiday period, so please check before attending.
Find your closest testing clinic on the NSW Government website or contact your GP.
Vaccinations and boosters
There has been a general shortage of vaccines and boosters in the region with many places currently waiting for deliveries, however, Ocean Shores Pharmacy say they currently have vaccinations and boosters available.
They are asking people to ensure that they use the MedAdvisor app to book and pre-fill their pre-screening form online.
‘There are approximately ten questions and people need to do them all, not just name and medicare number, so that we can ensure everything runs efficiently. When people do it it helps us out so much. It takes another 15 minutes each vaccination if they don’t do it,’ Pharmacist, and owner, of Ocean Shores Pharmacy Brett Dyer told The Echo.
Recent stories, information and updates regarding COVID-19
New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Life shows life expectancy in Australia has decreased slightly for the second year in a row. An international team of researchers has found more evidence that COVID-19 came from animals in a Wuhan food market. The lab-leak theory that Covid-19 came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology – instead of a nearby wet market – was thrashed about in public recently, with the US Senate Homeland Security Committee holding a hearing into Covid-19. Eighteen schools in the Northern Rivers division of Richmond have received $25,000 each as part of the federal government’s School Upgrade Fund, Labor Member for Richmond Justine Elliot said last week. COVID-19 reversed earlier trends toward longer life expectancies. During the pandemic, life expectancies globally dropped by 1.6 years according to a new study published in the Lancet medical journal. Let’s not forget that Covid-19 is still a big issue in our community with 31,935 cases reported across Australia in the last week – an average of 4,562 cases per day. The Global Carbon Budget is about to be refreshed, giving the world a critical insight into how efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are (or are not) progressing. Masks will no longer be mandatory on public transport from tomorrow, Wednesday 21 September. SW Police are urging festival-goers at this weekend’s music festival to celebrate in a safe and responsible manner, whilst also being aware of COVID-Safety measures. The Northern NSW Local Health District reports that to 4pm yesterday, Sunday May 22, there were 40 COVID-19 positive patients in hospital in Northern NSW, with one of these in ICU.
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