First Covid facts & stats for 2023

WA Health is reporting a total of 6,675 new cases in the past week to 4pm yesterday (5 January 2023). As of yesterday, there were 3,619 active cases in Western Australia.

For the past week to 4pm yesterday, there were a total of 252 people with COVID-19 in hospital, with six in ICU.

This compares with the 8,391 cases reported over the festive season week, 22 to 29 December 2022. For that week there were a total of 241 people with COVID-19 in hospital, 9 in ICU.

To 4pm Thursday 29 December there were four deaths, dating back to 9 December 2022, aged from 58 to 91 years.

Sadly, this week’s report to 4pm yesterday includes 29 deaths, dating back to 29 November 2022, which were reported to WA Health in the past week, aged from 33 to 99 years.

Total PCR tests from 30 December to 5 January were 7,261.

Total positive PCR tests for the timeframe were 1,625. Total positive rapid antigen tests (RATs) in this period were 5,019.

One is left with the impression from these stats that the holidaying and partying activities into 2023 may have messed with the stats. It’ll be interesting to see what turns up over the next couple weeks and whether the apparent decrease in numbers is maintained.

To add to this data scene, here’s the Surveillance Summary from WA Health for the week 26 December 2022 to 01 January 2023 (inclusive) with all the regional data.

For the week ending 1 January 2023, case numbers decreased by 25% compared to the previous week. Cases diagnosed by PCR decreased by 43% and by RAT decreased by 21%. Reinfections comprised 24% of total cases this week, compared with 22% last week.

There was a 18% decrease in PCR tests conducted compared to the previous week, with a 7-day average test positive rate for PCR tests of 18.1%.

The moving seven-day average case rates per 100,000 population decreased in all regions except the Goldfields, Kimberley and Midwest regions, which increased, and the Pilbara, which remained steady. The seven-day average case rate for the Perth metropolitan area (42 cases/100,000 population) was approximately 40% higher than the Western Australia Country Health Service (WACHS) regions combined (30 cases/100,000 population).

The seven-day average age-specific rates are all decreasing, with the highest rates in the 70+ years age group (55 cases/100,000 population), and the lowest rates in the 10 – 19 years age group (18 cases/100,000 population).

Nationally, the moving seven-day average case rates decreased across all jurisdictions, except Victoria, which remained stable, and the ACT, which increased. Tasmania has the highest rate (100 cases/100,000 population) and Queensland the lowest rate (38 cases/100,000 population).

The 7-day average of hospitalised cases decreased by 3% from 238 last week to 231 this week. Intensive care unit cases decreased from 10 in the last reporting week to 8 this week. New hospital admissions related to COVID-19 decreased by 39% from 136 last week to 83 this week, and direct intensive care unit admissions decreased from 4 last week to 3 this week.

This week, 303 cases were reported in the Aboriginal population, an 8% decrease compared to last week. Case rates in the Aboriginal population are equal to the non-Aboriginal population, with a 7-day average rate ratio of 1.0 this reporting week.

WA has recorded 1,270,544 cases since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

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