So, what’s happening with Covid?

WA Health is reporting a total of 10,520 new cases in the past week to 4pm yesterday. As of 4pm yesterday, there were 6,679 active cases in Western Australia.

As at 4pm yesterday, there were a total of 195 people with COVID-19 in hospital, with 12 in ICU.

Sadly, this week’s report to 4pm yesterday includes 15 deaths, dating back to 24/10/2022, which were reported to WA Health in the last week, aged from 71 to 101 years.

Total PCR tests for the timeframe were 9,446.

Total positive PCR tests for the timeframe were 2,475. Total positive rapid antigen tests (RATs) in this period were 8,045.

WA has recorded 1,209,214 cases since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Here’s the surveillance summary for the week ending 20 November.

Surveillance summary

There was a 11% increase in PCR tests conducted in the current reporting week compared to the
previous reporting week, with a 7-day average proportion of positive PCR tests of 19.2%.

Overall, case numbers increased by 13% compared to the previous week. Cases diagnosed by PCR increased by 5% and by RAT increased by 15%. Reinfections comprised 16% of total cases this week, compared with 13% last week.

The moving seven-day average case rates per 100,000 population increased across all public health regions except the Kimberley and Midwest regions. The seven-day average case rate for the Perth metropolitan area (54 cases/100,000 population) is tracking approximately 54% higher than Western Australia Country Health Service (WACHS) regions combined (35 cases/100,000 population).

The highest seven-day average case rates were in the 50 – 69 years age group (66 cases/100,000 population), with the lowest rates in the 0 – 9 years age group (21 cases/100,000 population). Nationally, the moving seven-day average case rates increased across all jurisdictions, with South Australia having the highest rate (65 cases/100,000 population) and Northern Territory the lowest rate (19 cases/100,000 population).

The 7-day average of hospitalised cases increased by 4% from 171 in the last reporting week to 178 this week. Intensive care unit cases decreased from 4 in the last reporting week to 3 this week. New hospital admissions related to COVID-19 increased by 15% from 65 in the last reporting week to 75 this week, and direct intensive care unit admissions remained unchanged with one this week.

Deaths increased by 56% this reporting week with 14 deaths compared to 9 last week.

There were 207 cases in the Aboriginal population during the current reporting week, an 18% increase compared to last week. Case rates in the Aboriginal population are lower compared to the non-Aboriginal population, with the 7-day average rate ratio sitting at 0.54 this reporting week. No deaths were reported in the Aboriginal population this week.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE –