TWO men in their 70s have died in as many days as NSW Health warns of an uptick in COVID-19.
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Health authorities reported on Sunday that a Maitland man in his 70s was one of seven people who had died with the virus around the state. The Maitland man was the second Hunter death reported in as many days, with a Newcastle man in his 70s among the casualties announced on Saturday.
There were 1274 new cases in the Hunter in Sunday morning's update, adding to Saturday's 1196 confirmations. Both daily totals were the highest numbers recorded outside Sydney, and the only regional areas with more than 1000 cases each day. NSW Health said reported cases were up while hospitalisations had stabilised in the past fortnight.
"Reported case rates continue to be highest in people aged 10-19 years," it said in a statement. "The Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) is currently the dominant COVID-19 variant of concern circulating in the NSW community, with both main sub-lineages of the Omicron variant (BA.1 and BA.2) identified."
- Editorial, P17
