COVID – 19 update – Wednesday, 3 November 2021

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COVID-19 cases in the region  

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

Vaccination update   

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.  

TGA approves Pfizer vaccine for boosters  

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.

Community vaccination locations  

You can find vaccination options via the Vaccine Eligibility Checker. Locations of LHD community vaccination clinics, no booking and no Medicare needed are below: 

  • Kooloora Community Centre 
    167 Bilga Crescent, Malabar 
    9.30 am – 3.00 pm, Monday 1 November – Friday 5 November 
  • Northcott Community Centre 
    163 Devonshire Street, Surry Hills
    9.30 am – 3.00 pm, every Monday  
  • The Hub @ Lexo  
    Lexington Place, Maroubra
    9.30 am – 3.00 pm, every Friday 
  • Chifley Vaccination clinic  
    Namatjira Place, Chifley
    9.15am – 12.00 pm, every Thursday 
  • Koori Vaccination Clinic 
    Redfern Post Office 
    119 Redfern Street, Redfern
    10.00am – 4.00pm, Tuesday to Saturday 
    Make a booking
  • Oznam Learning Centre 
    99 Forbes Street, Woolloomooloo
    9.30 am – 4.00 pm every Thursday 

Bookings are also available at the following vaccination clinics: 

  • Flourish Australia Centre 
    43 Buckingham Street, Surry Hills
    Monday to Friday, 9.00 am to 3.30pm 
    Book here
  • Alf Kay Vaccination Clinic 
    2 Florence Avenue, Eastlakes
    Monday to Friday, 10.00 am to 2.00 pm 
    Book here
  • Centennial Park Vaccination Clinic 
    22 – 32 King Street Randwick (UNSW Building R14),  
    The clinic is open from 8:00am – 4:00pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 
    Bookings required through vaccine clinic finder. 
  • Ultimo Community Centre 
    40 William Henry Street, Ultimo
    10 .00 am to 4.00 pm Monday to Friday  
    Book here 

NSW Roadmap update 

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.

ATAGI advice on booster doses 

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 available 

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. 

DayLocationTime
MondayNorthcott Community Centre, Belvoir St, Surry Hills10.00 am – 2.00 pm
TuesdayPoet’s Corner, Redfern2.00 pm – 3.30 pm
Ward Park (Northcott), Belvoir St, Surry Hills4.00 pm – 5.30 pm
Walla Mulla Park, Woolloomooloo7.15 pm – 9.15 pm
WednesdayWard Park (Northcott), Belvoir St, Surry Hills1.00 pm – 3.30 pm
Walla Mulla Park, Woolloomooloo4.00 pm – 5.30 pm
Martin Place, Phillip St, Sydney7.00 pm – 8.30 pm
ThursdayNamatjira Place (Community Room), Chifley9.30 am – 12.30 pm
Kooloora Community Centre, Bilga Crescent, Malabar2.00 pm – 3.30 pm
FridayThe Hub, Lexington Place, South Maroubra10.00 am – 2.00 pm
SaturdayPoet’s Corner, Redfern9.00 am – 11.00 am
Ward Park (Northcott), Belvoir St, Surry Hills11.30 am – 1.00 pm
Walla Mulla Park, Woolloomooloo2.30 pm – 4.00 pm
Monday-FridayThe Kirketon Road Centre, above Darlinghurst Fire Station, entrance on Victoria Street, Darlinghurst 20109.30 am – 5.00 pm (Wednesday 12.00 pm – 5.00 pm)

Booster doses and your Aged Care facility residents  

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 

  • Anyone in Australia aged 18 years and over can receive a booster  
  • Pfizer boosters can be administered from 6 months after the second primary course dose of COVID-19 vaccine – regardless of the initial vaccine type. 

See here the Recommendations from ATAGI on the use of a third primary dose of COVID-19 vaccine in individuals who are severely immunocompromised 

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. 

COVID-19 exposures notified through Service NSW app  

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 COVID-19 webinars   

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: 

TitleDate and timeRegistration link
Community care models and risk stratification for COVID-19 infectionsMonday 8 November 2021, 7.00–8.00 pm  https://racgp.zoom.us/webinar/register
/WN_0HReOm5-TiKpk8JEkXRdIQ
NSW COVID-19 UpdateMonday 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 NSWTuesday 30 November 2021, 7.30–8.30 pm   https://racgp.zoom.us/webinar/register/
WN_HBI1nd7MTRqBffOyIKvipg
Vaccine hesitancy and practice efficienciesThursday 2 December 2021, 7.00–8.00 pm    https://racgp.zoom.us/webinar/
register/WN_H4MEz1OrTC-ZOZSVMoFPLw

CESPHN Vax at Home program  

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: 

  • Name of patient 
  • Date of Birth 
  • Patients residential address and contact details 
  • Name of usual GP. 
  • Medicare details 
  • Contact details of any carers. 

This service is now operational and accepting referrals.    

Aboriginal people at greater risk of COVID-19  

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. 

Free infection control advice  

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: 

  • Send questions prior to the consultation session about your practice 
  • Ask questions on infection control that relates to your practice. 

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”. 

Rapid antigen testing kits  

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. 

Additional PPE available 

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.  

COVID-19 live stream update for GPs 

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

Catch up on previous webinars  

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