Due to declining community transmission of COVID-19 and increasing vaccination rates within NSW, non-urgent day surgery will recommence from Tuesday, October 5 at private facilities where it has been temporarily postponed.
This includes Nepean Private Hospital.
Day surgery (surgery that does not require the patient to stay in hospital overnight)
will recommence for both public and private patients in private facilities only.
Emergency surgery and urgent elective surgery will continue to be performed in
public hospitals.
The announcement comes as NSW records 15 new COVID-19 related deaths in the last 24 hours.
Three of the 15 were from the Nepean Blue Mountains area.
NSW recorded 864 new cases to 8pm last night, 44 from Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is expected to confirm next week that Sydney will begin reopening on October 11, with the vaccination target of 70 per cent double dose likely to be met towards the end of next week.
It’s also expected there will be greater clarity for businesses around what happens with a COVID-19 case is confirmed at a venue. It’s unlikely close contacts will have to isolate for 14 days or businesses will have to close.
The government is also expected to confirm that swimming lessons for children will return earlier than the December 1 reopening of indoor pools.
Troy Dodds is the Weekender’s Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia’s leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.
