A MAN has died in the Hunter after contracting COVID-19 as the region recorded two cases in the latest virus figures.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
NSW Health said the man died at the John Hunter despite acquiring two doses of the vaccine. He also had underlying medical conditions, officials said, and contracted the virus at the RFBI Hawkins Masonic Village in Edgeworth.
His death was the second linked to that outbreak and one of three announced across NSW on Monday.
A man and a woman, both also in their 80s, died in Sydney hospitals. One had received one dose of vaccine and the other was unvaccinated.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said all had underlying conditions.
74 people have died in NSW since June 16, and 130 since the beginning of the pandemic.
818 new cases of transmission were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm Sunday.
NSW deputy premier John Barilaro said two were in the Hunter, one in Lake Macquarie linked to Costco's exposure and another in Cessnock, and another two on the Central Coast.
The Toronto case was infectious in the community while the Branxton case was not, NSW Health said. All were linked to previously known cases.
"[In the Hunter] only weeks ago we were reporting a couple of dozen, overnight only a couple," Mr Barilaro said.
Hunter New England Health said Monday's update took the total number of cases in the region's outbreak to 163, with 151 active.
32 people are being treated in hospital.
Mr Barilaro said there was "an opportunity to get to zero in the regions" but resources were focused on boosting vaccination rates.
"Nowhere in the world have they been able to pull Delta back once it's been out in the community," he said.
Hunter New England Health added three Lake Macquarie supermarkets to its list of exposure sites on Sunday evening.
Ms Berejiklian urged people to turn away from case numbers in favour of watching vaccination rates.
"Once we get to 80 per cent double dose, essentially we will have normalised COVID the way we treat other conditions," she said.
Ms Berejiklian said the outbreak had been an early forced transition to living with the virus.
"Every state is going to have to live with COVID," Ms Berejiklian said.
"We do have to live with Delta."
She said there would be "more to say" about a return to schools later this week given how close the 6 million vaccinations target had come.
Ms Berejiklian said western NSW remained the main area of concern outside Sydney's 12 local government areas, and that 738,000 people were vaccinated in NSW during the past week.
"We're up to 5.9 million jabs in NSW," Ms Berejiklian said.
"I think when I first announced [the 6 million target for August] people thought it was unattainable.
"I'm so pleased everybody has really heard the call."
IN THE NEWS
- Three Lake Macquarie supermarkets named exposure sites
- Masks mandatory outdoors: what's changed in the new COVID rules
- EDITORIAL: Costco Boolaroo exposure may have high price for Hunter
- Raiders rumoured to be chasing Knights' Mitchell Pearce
- 'In the dark': parents of most vulnerable concerned over vax hub move
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt told reporters in Canberra on Monday that vaccination rates in recent weeks had begun to match records around the world.
More than 139,000 people were vaccinated nationally on Sunday.
"All of those numbers are progressively increasing," he said.
"Supply is strong, distribution is strong and the uptake is incredible."
Monday delivered tighter NSW lockdown rules, including for the Hunter. Masks are now mandatory outdoors in the region until August 28, the mooted expiry of the statewide lockdown.
Curfews have now come into force across Sydney's 12 local government areas of concern, with that city's lockdown not due to expire until the end of September at the earliest.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark: newcastleherald.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News