There continues to be a decline in the number of COVID cases in our region. Click here for all the latest information relating to the NSW outbreak including case locations and alerts.
See here for information on the latest testing locations.
Please remember to refer your patients to a GP respiratory clinic if they need a respiratory assessment. You can find contact details here.
Within the region 86% of the population aged 15 and over have received one vaccine dose and 83% are fully vaccinated (a 2% increase from last week). 14% of the population remain unvaccinated. The number of vaccinations administered last week decreased by 41% from the previous week. You can view vaccination uptake by postcode and local government area here.
General practices that need additional Pfizer or Astra Zeneca vaccine should contact our practice support team via coronavirus@cesphn.com.au and we can facilitate transfers.
We are strongly encouraging general practices and pharmacists to review their patients and identify those who are unvaccinated and arrange COVID-19 vaccination for them.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has provisionally approved the Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine as a booster vaccine for individuals aged 18 years and above. ATAGI is considering the regulatory approval and will provide their recommendations on the use of boosters in coming days.
You can find vaccination options via the Vaccine Eligibility Checker. Locations of LHD community vaccination clinics, no booking and no Medicare needed are below:
Bookings are also available at the following vaccination clinics:
In response to the faster-than-expected rate of vaccination, the NSW Government will further ease rules for those who are fully vaccinated by bringing forward many of the roadmap changes scheduled for 1 December to Monday, 8 November. Click here for more information.
Australia has commenced rolling out COVID-19 booster shots to the population following new advice from Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI). People who are aged 18 years and over will be offered a booster shot six months after receiving their second dose. Immunisation providers must check the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) prior to administering any COVID-19 vaccines.
General practices who have stock and available bookings can commence providing boosters immediately. It is important that patients are aware the booster vaccination is not mandatory, however they are recommended to maintain immunity against COVID-19.
Boosters can be funded through the existing MBS items 93644, 93645, 93646, 93647, 93653, 93654, 93655 and 93656 are available to assess patients’ suitability for the second or subsequent dose of a COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Booster vaccinations for COVID-19 are available at the following times and locations for anyone over 18 who had their second dose at least six months ago.
| Day | Location | Time |
| Monday | Northcott Community Centre, Belvoir St, Surry Hills | 10.00 am – 2.00 pm |
| Tuesday | Poet’s Corner, Redfern | 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm |
| Ward Park (Northcott), Belvoir St, Surry Hills | 4.00 pm – 5.30 pm | |
| Walla Mulla Park, Woolloomooloo | 7.15 pm – 9.15 pm | |
| Wednesday | Ward Park (Northcott), Belvoir St, Surry Hills | 1.00 pm – 3.30 pm |
| Walla Mulla Park, Woolloomooloo | 4.00 pm – 5.30 pm | |
| Martin Place, Phillip St, Sydney | 7.00 pm – 8.30 pm | |
| Thursday | Namatjira Place (Community Room), Chifley | 9.30 am – 12.30 pm |
| Kooloora Community Centre, Bilga Crescent, Malabar | 2.00 pm – 3.30 pm | |
| Friday | The Hub, Lexington Place, South Maroubra | 10.00 am – 2.00 pm |
| Saturday | Poet’s Corner, Redfern | 9.00 am – 11.00 am |
| Ward Park (Northcott), Belvoir St, Surry Hills | 11.30 am – 1.00 pm | |
| Walla Mulla Park, Woolloomooloo | 2.30 pm – 4.00 pm | |
| Monday-Friday | The Kirketon Road Centre, above Darlinghurst Fire Station, entrance on Victoria Street, Darlinghurst 2010 | 9.30 am – 5.00 pm (Wednesday 12.00 pm – 5.00 pm) |
From 8 November 2021, the Australian Government will roll out a national COVID-19 vaccine booster program for residential aged care through in-reach clinics, and at-risk health staff as these groups who may be due for their booster.
Following the Therapeutic Goods Administration’s (TGA) approval of the Comirnaty (Pfizer) vaccine as a booster dose for individuals aged 18 years and above, the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has indicated that
GPs can contact Aged Care facilities to organise booster doses for residents and health care workers that are 6 months post their second primary course of COVID-19 vaccine. Facilities are responsible for arranging consent from residents. The Australian Government’s consent form has been updated to incorporate consent for boosters. For more information, go to: COVID-19 booster vaccination program – residential aged care.
Please email us at coronavirus@cesphn.com.au if we can provide support.
NSW residents are being advised if they have been to a venue on the same day as a person confirmed to have COVID-19 through a red icon in their check-in history within the Service NSW app. From Friday these will become notifications from the Service NSW app, expanding the ways people can stay informed about potential exposure risks. NSW Health contact tracers would still contact positive cases and close contacts directly.
When residents receive a notification or see a COVID-19 case alert in their check-in history, they only need to monitor for symptoms, and get tested if they feel unwell. People will be contacted directly by NSW Health if they need to self-isolate.
RACGP has shared a recording of their Monday 18 webinar on Infection control and post-COVID-19 care.
They have also extended an invitation to the following upcoming COVID related webinars:
| Title | Date and time | Registration link |
| Community care models and risk stratification for COVID-19 infections | Monday 8 November 2021, 7.00–8.00 pm | https://racgp.zoom.us/webinar/register /WN_0HReOm5-TiKpk8JEkXRdIQ |
| NSW COVID-19 Update | Monday 15 November 2021, 7.00–8.00 pm | https://racgp.zoom.us/webinar/register/ WN__TXY833jSmW7SYaeLYFfDA |
| COVID-Vaccine rollout: Supporting diverse communities and vaccines for children. | Thursday 25 November 2021, 7.00–8.00 pm | https://racgp.zoom.us/webinar/register/ WN_8x5VBWOqTmSv3UsfIGa3qA |
| COVID-19 vaccination update in NSW | Tuesday 30 November 2021, 7.30–8.30 pm | https://racgp.zoom.us/webinar/register/ WN_HBI1nd7MTRqBffOyIKvipg |
| Vaccine hesitancy and practice efficiencies | Thursday 2 December 2021, 7.00–8.00 pm | https://racgp.zoom.us/webinar/ register/WN_H4MEz1OrTC-ZOZSVMoFPLw |
We are aware that some people in our community may not be able to access a GP or vaccination hub to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. As a result CESPHN has developed the Vax at Home program.
The CESPHN Vax at Home Program is ONLY for those people who are housebound and not able to leave their house to receive a COViD-19 vaccination (their carers will also be able to be vaccinated).
Patient self-referrals will NOT be accepted. Patients should speak with their GP for referral to this program if appropriate. Referrals can be accepted from General Practitioners and Disability Provider Organisations only. Referrals for people who live in the Sydney Local Health District can be emailed to SLHD-AHCCR-InreachClinic@health.nsw.gov.auand for South Eastern Sydney Local Health District please email vaxinhomesesydney@gmail.com
Referrals should include:
This service is now operational and accepting referrals.
Thanks to the tireless efforts of general practice, NSW has made significant progress in overall COVID-19 vaccination rates, reducing possible case numbers and hospitalisations and allowed many to enjoy freedoms not experienced in months.
But lower vaccination coverage in Aboriginal people means renewed effort is needed to address barriers to vaccination and reduce their increased risk of serious illness from COVID-19. Proactive communication to Aboriginal people is required, so use these strategies to aid communication and address vaccination barriers.
CESPHN is pleased to offer general practices, community pharmacies and allied health the opportunity to have a specialised one-on-one consultation session with an experienced primary care infection control educator. This consult will enable your practice/pharmacy to:
Sessions will be via ‘Zoom’ and will be up to 50 minutes in duration and can be recorded for later use. The aim of these sessions is to support practices and community pharmacies to ensure they have the strongest infection procedures in place and provide tips for improvement where needed. If you would like more information or would like to book a consultation, please email your interest to coronavirus@cesphn.com.au and in the subject line write: “Yes I would like infection control advice”.
From Monday 1 November, rapid antigen test kits are available from supermarkets and pharmacies for at-home testing. The Federal Government is incorporating rapid testing into the national plan to address COVID-19 in the future.
Home use rapid antigen tests are not as accurate as the laboratory PCR tests, but they are very helpful because they provide results within 10 to 15 minutes. They can also pick up the COVID-19 virus very early in the infection, sometimes just before symptoms appear. Click here to read more.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) packages including surgical and N95/P2 masks, face shields, gloves, gowns and goggles and face shields will be made available for community pharmacies and those GPs who continue to see their patients within their practices. PPE guidelines can be found here. CESPHN will continue to distribute these supplies. To order PPE for your practice or pharmacy click here.
Join the latest COVID-19 vaccine live stream update for GPs. The panel will provide latest key updates and answer participants’ questions live about the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Get involved by submitting questions and comments!
Details: Thursday, 4 November | 11.30 am (AEDT) | Click link to join
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