Covid: Regional numbers continue to grow

THERE are another 1,485 cases of covid-19 identified in New South Wales in the past 24 hours.

Three people have passed away:

• a woman in her 50s who had one dose of vaccine and no underlying health conditions;
• a man in his 70s who was unvaccinated and had no significant underlying health conditions, and
• a man in his 70s who was unvaccinated and had significant underlying health conditions.

There are 175 people in intensive care, 72 patients are on ventilation and there are 3 children in intensive care.

There is a case in Gundy and another case of covid in Cessnock.

Hunter Valley Operations has also confirmed there were two scaffolders with the virus on site this week at their coal handling plant.

New cases in regional New South Wales include:

• 23 Dubbo
• 8 Wollongong
• 7 Central Coast
• 7 Port Stephens
• 3 Shellharbour
• 3 Bourke
• 2 Orange
• 2 Blayney
• 2 Balranald
• 1 Broken Hill
• 1 Wilcannia
• 1 Narromine
• 1 Gundy
• 1 Cessnock
• 1 Armidale (may be a false positive)

There are now 791 cases in the far west, 228 cases in the Hunter New England Health district and 100 cases on the Central Coast since August 5.

Sewerage has tested positive, with no known cases, in Tamworth, Byron Bay, Glen Innes, Cooma and West Kempsey.