On October 1, NSW’s seven-day average of new cases dropped below 900 for the first time since numbers began to skyrocket in mid-August. It took almost 13 weeks, but Sydney’s lockdown is finally beginning to suppress the spread of the virus, after reaching a peak of 1,573 cases on September 11. This trend of shrinking daily numbers is unlikely to last, however, as cases are expected to climb in the weeks after lockdown begins lifting from October 11. Also, death rates continue to remain high. Between September 29-October 1, NSW recorded its deadliest days of the pandemic to date, with 36 deaths recorded within a 72 hour reporting period.
The high death rate is because there can be as much as a 14-day lag between when a patient is infected with the virus and that person developing severe symptoms, so daily deaths are likely to remain high for several more weeks. The former premier, Glayds Berejiklian, has warned that October will record the highest levels of hospitalisations and deaths as many of the already diagnosed cases become increasingly sick.
NSW continues to lead the nation as Australia’s most vaccinated state. 87.2 per cent of adults over 16 have now received at least one dose of a vaccine and more than half of children aged 12-15 have also received one jab. 64 per cent of adults in the state are now fully vaccinated. At current vaccination rates, 70 per cent of adults will be fully immunised against Covid-19 by Wednesday October 6 and 80 per cent will be double jabbed by October 16, just five days after the state begins to reopen on October 11.
While Dec 1 is currently the date that unvaccinated people will be able to enjoy the same freedoms as the fully inoculated, there is a possibility, if current vaccination rates hold, that this date could be brought forward. Berejiklian said in the press conference on September 30 that this might be considered once the state exceeds a fully vaccinated target of 90 per cent. At current vaccination rates, this could be achieved by October 25, however, no country in the world has yet been able to reach such a high percentage of vaccination. The most vaccinated countries in the world right now are the United Arab Emirates and Portugal, where 84 per cent of both populations are fully vaccinated. The UAE is the only country in the world that has been able to administer more than 90 per cent of its population with at least one dose. Australia now ranks as the 47th most vaccinated country in the world.