NSW testing numbers well down on yesterday, only 97k vs 158k.
Cases still went up, but I think that’s the right outcome so we aren’t putting unnecessary strain on health workers but still identifying and isolating infected citizens.
How have you connected those two dots?
Less tests and more positives means a high test positivity rate of over 12% which suggests there is a huge number of people not being identified as positive and not isolating. Which means more spread and more strain on health workers.
The increasing test positivity rate can be attributed to less people getting tested while asymptomatic, which is logical given that Queensland has dropped the PCR testing requirement now from Jan 1st.
But yes, I certainly don’t doubt there is also a huge number of cases going undetected in asymptomatic cases- the fact that so many cases are asymptomatic proves that the vaccines are doing their job quite nicely.
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Whilst that is always possible, I don’t necessarily agree… People don’t otherwise spend hours sitting in queues waiting to be tested if they don’t have symptoms. Otherwise everyone should be getting tested just because they might be asymptomatic, which just isn’t possible.
I think the higher positive testing rate is simply because we are removing the largely unnecessary tests.
I wont be surprised if its a blip and the numbers of tests rises again soon.
Sounds like we might have an answer - they’ll be used at testing sites
Ray Hadley tees off at NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet
Holy shit.
UPDATED
The six deaths were:
A woman in her 80s from western Sydney died at Nepean Hospital. She was a resident of Fitzgerald Aged Care in Windsor, where she acquired her infection. She had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
A man in his 70s from south-western Sydney died at Liverpool Hospital. He was not vaccinated.
A man in his 70s from the Newcastle area died at John Hunter Hospital. He was a resident of the Kilpatrick Court aged care facility in Toronto, where he acquired his infection. He had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
A woman in her 60s from western Sydney died at Liverpool Hospital. She had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
A man in his 90s from Sydney’s north shore died at Royal North Shore Hospital. He had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
A man in his 70s from south-western Sydney died at Concord Hospital. He had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Of the 21,151 cases, 4,647 are from south eastern Sydney, 3,439 from south western Sydney, 2,919 from western Sydney, 2,278 from Sydney, 2,194 from northern Sydney, 1983 from Hunter New England, 821 from Illawarra Shoalhaven, 632 from Nepean Blue Mountains, 597 from Central Coast, 260 from Northern NSW, 244 from Western NSW, 159 from Southern NSW, 131 from Murrumbidgee, 121 from Mid North Coast, six are from Far West NSW.
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Jesus H Christ. When Brad Hazzard said cases would hit 25,000 I honestly thought that was just a expectation managing and catastrophising so that he could pat himself on the back when cases only peaked at 5,000.
Now maybe 25,000 wasn’t pessimistic enough.
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The NSW health website has a different number for hospitalisations. 832 in hospital.
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With one more day in December, it would be on track to have 25,000 before January. But testers might have an early mark today for New Years Eve so results tomorrow might differ from reality.
Time to really ramp up boosters. It’s the only way to get the numbers down.
NSW (or Australia for that matter) is no different to the rest of the world in recording record case numbers. Worldwide 1.75million cases have been reported on the 29th December. Before this week the highest daily peak worldwide was around 900,000 cases.
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Vaccines don’t significantly reduce cases, but they reduce going to hospital and death
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The narrative around boosters has really died off. All anyone is talking about is testing.
I know some people are deliberately not getting their booster at the moment because their work offers vaccine leave, or a day sick leave when they get it, so it would be a waste to get it during time off.
Hopefully the booster message is pushed hard later in Jan.
this has now been updated to reflect the update to hospital numbers
In Israel, they are now starting 2nd booster shots, after finding the first booster wanes after 4 months.
And NSW Health is going to need a bigger yellow box to fit in all these big numbers!!!
Continue Discussion Here:
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