Covid update: Regional Pfizer shots going to Sydney Year 12 students

PFIZER vaccines in regional and rural New South Wales will be redirected to Year 12 students in lockdown zones, to allow them the opportunity to attend their HSC exams.

Vaccines will be offered to students in the following eight Local Government Areas (LGA): Fairfield, Blacktown, Cumberland, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool, Parramatta and Georges River.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro said getting vaccination rates up in the eight LGAs of concern will be important in preventing the current outbreak from spreading to the regions.

“The greatest threat to regional and rural New South Wales is of course, a breach that could possibly come out of southwestern Sydney or Sydney in general,” Mr Barilaro said.

“This is about supporting Year 12 students in those eight LGAs, students that are in their final year and to redirect doses from the bush to those LGAs is appropriate and supported,” he said.

“To the people of rural and regional New South Wales, can I say firstly, thank you, because the opportunity for vaccination continues as we roll out AstraZeneca right across regional and rural New South Wales and the state,” he said.

Due to low vaccination rates, the Greater Sydney lockdown has been extended for another four weeks until Saturday, August 23 at 12:01am.

The current stay at home orders will remain in place for Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour.

Despite the lockdown extension, construction will resume in all areas this Saturday, with newly introduced Covid-19 protocols in place to keep workers and worksites safe.

Only the eight Local Government Areas (LGA) of concern will not be allowed to resume construction and workers from those LGAs will not be able to leave their homes for work.

“As you’ve seen in today’s numbers, we still have a challenge in Sydney in relation to the spread, so this is actually a gesture of good will from the government,” said Mr Barilaro.

New South Wales recorded 177 new local cases up to 8pm last night and at least 68 people were infectious in the community.

More than 94,000 tests were conducted during the last 24 hours, 165 people are in hospital, 56 are in the Intensive Care Unit and 22 require ventilation.

Sadly, an unvaccinated woman aged in her 90s died at Liverpool Hospital overnight.

Eleven people have now died as a result of the current outbreak.