The latest Covid report - Remember that thing called Covid?

It looks like Covid is on the up again in the Eastern States. What does that mean here in the West, including Freo?

Here, WA Health is reporting a total of 8,029 new cases in the past week to 4pm yesterday (10/11/2022).

As of 4pm yesterday, there were 4,906 active cases in Western Australia.

As at 4pm yesterday, there were a total of 176 people with Covid in hospital, with 5 in ICU.

Sadly, this week’s report to 4pm yesterday includes 6 deaths, dating back to 29/10/2022, which were reported to WA Health in the last week, aged from 77 to 92 years.

Total PCR tests for the timeframe were 7,760.

Total positive PCR tests for the timeframe were 1,893. Total positive rapid antigen tests (RATs) in this period were 6,136.

WA has recorded 1,189,668 cases since the COVID-19 pandemic began

Here’s the regional case data Surveillance Summary for the week ending 6 November.

There was a 1% decrease in PCR tests conducted in the current reporting week compared to the previous reporting week, with the proportion of positive PCR tests increasing over the course of the week with a 7-day average of 19.0%.

Overall, case numbers increased by 22% compared to the previous week. Cases diagnosed by PCR increased by 23% and RAT increased by 22%. The increasing proportion of positive PCR tests over the past week is indicative of an increasing case load of COVID-19 circulating in the community.

Moving seven-day average case rates per 100,000 population increased across all public health regions except the Kimberley and Pilbara regions, which had a decrease in case rates.

The 7-day case rate for the Perth metropolitan area (39 cases/100,000 population) is tracking approximately 41% higher than Western Australia Country Health Service (WACHS) regions combined (28 cases/100,000 population). The highest rates were observed in the 70+ years age group (64 cases/100,000 population), with the lowest rates being observed in the 0 – 9 years age group (16 cases/100,000 population). Nationally, moving seven-day case rates appear to be slowly increasing across all jurisdictions except Queensland and the Northern Territory, which remain steady. Case rates range between 11 – 35 cases/100,000 people across all jurisdictions.

The 7-day average of hospitalised cases increased by 6% from 136 in the last reporting week to 144 this week and intensive care unit cases decreased from 7 in the last reporting week to 5 this week. New hospital admissions related to COVID-19 increased by 49% from 41 in the last reporting week to 61 this week, and direct intensive care unit admissions decreased from two cases in the last reporting week to one this week.

There was a 11% decrease in deaths reported in the current reporting week with 16 deaths reported compared to the 18 in the previous reporting week.

There were 138 cases in the Aboriginal population during the current reporting week, a 15% decrease in cases compared to the previous reporting week. Case rates in the Aboriginal population have declined further compared to the non-Aboriginal population, with the 7-day average rate ratio reducing to 0.46 in the past week. No deaths were reported in the Aboriginal population during the reporting period.

To us at the Shipping News, it would seem premature to forget about Covid just yet, especially if you’re in the older age groups.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE –