As the daily routine of living with Covid-19 continues, many locals now either know people who have had Covid – or are simply waiting for the time when they too contract the spreading virus.

Today, another 409 new cases of Covid were reported in the Northern NSW Local Health District. (NNSWLHD), with 43 of them being in Lismore Local Government Area.

Read more Covid news: Pandemic sees Lismore's private hospital open to public patients

Reporting changes ‘PCR cases’

When it comes to the reporting of new daily Covid numbers, an interesting change from our local health authorities that new cases are referred to as ‘PCR cases’.

This change comes as the availability of home-based Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) affects the cumulative total numbers of positive Covid cases. RAT test results are not included in the daily totals.

While the reporting of a positive RAT you have done at home is now mandatory, it is still unclear whether the true numbers of cases are being reported.

Anyone who tests positive using a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) are now required to register their result with Service NSW.

District breakdown

Of the 409 new cases in our local district, Tweed Heads has the highest number with 230, followed by Lismore and Ballina with 43, Clarence Valley with 36, Byron Bay with 34, Richmond Valley with 17, and Kyogle with 6.

It seems Byron is no longer the epicenter of new cases, as Tweed Heads numbers continue to rise.

Local ICU cases and deaths

There are 50 COVID-19 positive patients in hospital in Northern NSW, with 6 of these in ICU.

One death from Covid has been reported of a person aged in their 60s from Tweed Heads.

Northern NSW Local Health District is urging people to get tested for COVID-19 at the first sign of symptoms and isolate until a negative result is received.

NSW statistics 

There are currently 2,776 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, including 203 people in intensive care, 61 of whom require ventilation.

There were 17 Covid related deaths -12 men and five women. 

This brings the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 885.

Of the 17 people who died; 14 people were vaccinated against COVID-19, one person had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and two people were not vaccinated.

Older age is a significant risk factor for serious illness and death for COVID-19, particularly when combined with significant underlying health conditions.

There were 29,504 positive test results (cases) notified to 8pm last night – including 11,858 positive rapid antigen tests (RATs) and 17,646 positive PCR tests.

Vaccinations

Across NSW, 95.2 per cent of people aged 16 and over have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 93.8 per cent have received two doses to Saturday 15 January.

Of people aged 12 to 15, 82.1 per cent have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 78.3 per cent have received two doses. Of people aged 5 to 11, 13.1 per cent have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Everyone who is eligible is encouraged to book into a NSW Health vaccination clinic or another provider without delay through the COVID-19 vaccine clinic finder.

Booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine are now available for people aged 18 and over who had their second dose at least four months ago. We urge people to get their booster dose as soon as they are eligible, to best protect themselves, their loved ones and the community from the ongoing transmission of COVID-19.

People aged 12 years and over who are severely immunocompromised are recommended to have a third primary dose of vaccine from two months after their second dose.

NSW Health vaccination clinics are now administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children aged five to 11 years old. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to make a booking for vaccination at any NSW Health vaccination clinic, at a general practitioner, or a community pharmacy.

If you are seeking data, you can search cases by postcode on the NSW Government website.

For the most up-to-date COVID information visit http://www.nsw.gov.au