Hospitals in Sydney Struggle With COVID-19 as Daily Infections Hit Record

By Admin On Aug 25, 2021

LAHORE MIRROR (Monitoring Desk)– Sydney’s COVID-19 infections hit a daily record on Wednesday, putting parts of the health system under pressure, officials said, calling for vaccinations to be stepped up to stem the tide of hospital admissions.

Despite two months of lockdowns in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW) state reported 919 new cases amid a growing Delta variant outbreak, taking Australia’s daily case numbers to a new pandemic high just below 1,000.

New infections in greater Sydney reached 838, eclipsing Sunday’s record of 830 cases for the whole state. Some 85% of the state’s total infections lie in greater Sydney. A total of 113 people in the state are in intensive care, with 98 of those unvaccinated.

“This highlights … the fact that vaccination is the key. We need to increase those vaccine coverage levels,” NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said during a televised media briefing in Sydney, the state capital.

Australia, grappling to control a third wave of the coronavirus, has locked down more than half of its 25 million population, including its largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, and is accelerating an initially sluggish vaccine rollout.

Around 31% of people aged over 16 have been fully vaccinated, while 54% have had at least one dose.

Westmead Hospital, one of the largest in Sydney’s hard-hit western suburbs, has reduced ambulance arrivals for COVID-19 patients for 24 hours and shifted critical patients to other hospitals, an internal note shared on Twitter by NSW lawmaker Cate Faehrmann showed.

Asked about the changes, state Health Minister Brad Hazzard acknowledged the health system is working under pressure but said the situation is still manageable.

SOURCE: REUTERS

Hospitals in Sydney Struggle With COVID-19 as Daily Infections Hit Record