WHILE NSW celebrates the return of various freedoms, the Hunter remains on high alert as Covid-19 cases continue to rise across sections of the community.

On Sunday, a day prior to NSW reopening, Hunter New England Health recorded 56 confirmed cases of Covid-19 across the district, including two from Port Stephens and three from the MidCoast LGA.

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Port Stephens reported 59 locally acquired COVID-19 cases and tests in the four weeks up to 8pm 9 October 2021, while the MidCoast recorded 27 cases in that period.

What is very alarming is the sudden rise of cases within the Hunter’s Indigenous community this week.

According to Hunter New England Health, this week Indigenous people made up 20% of cases in the Hunter region, a rise of 19% from last week.

They say three out of five Aboriginal people with Covid-19 in the local health district are aged under 25, with at least 60 Indigenous people in the Hunter having caught the virus this week.

To allow the region a last chance to get vaccinated before restrictions ease, additional Pfizer vaccinations were made available at the Belmont Vaccination Hub with a hospitality Super Sunday conducted on 10 October.

The latest statistics from the Australian Governments Operation COVID Shield report that the Port Stephens vaccination rate is at 70.2% first dose.

Only 40.6% of the 60,306 people aged over 16 residing in the area are double dosed.

WhIle NSW case numbers are dropping and now sit in the 500’s daily the Hunter is recording case loads of around 100 per day with the focus area being in Lake Macquarie.

By Marian SAMPSON