NSW Health Department Tells Community to ‘Stay COVID-19 Safe’

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New South Wales (NSW) residents have been warned to “stay COVID-safe” and wear a mask if they have cold or flu symptoms.

The state’s health department claimed COVID-19 transmission in the fortnight ending Jan. 6 is higher than last year’s “winter peak.”

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant told residents to wear a mask if experiencing symptoms.

“If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, please stay at home,” Dr. Chant said.

“Don’t visit high-risk settings like hospitals, aged and disability care facilities, or people who are at higher risk of severe illness until your symptoms resolve.

“To receive the best protection against serious illness or death from COVID-19, it is important to stay up to date with your recommended COVID-19 vaccinations.”

Omicron COVID-19 Variant JN.1 Spiking in Community: NSW Health

Dr. Chant claimed omicron variants  EG.5 and JN.1 are responsible for most of the transmission in the community and variant JN.1 is “increasing in prevalence.”

“While there is no evidence to suggest these variants cause more severe disease the overall increase in case numbers puts more people, especially vulnerable people, at risk from COVID-19,” Dr. Chant said.

One Nation Member of the Legislative Council Mark Latham claimed most people are “now ignoring” the latest “hype” on COVID-19.

“People are not silly, they just need time to understand the difference between pure science and political control,” he claimed in a post to X.

Victoria Issues Similar Warning

The advice in New South Wales comes after the Victorian Department of Health warned COVID-19 infections were on the rise on Jan. 8.

In an alert, Victorian Chief Health Officer Dr. Clare Looker claimed community transmission of COVID-19 is rising in Victoria.

“This increase in community transmission is linked to a new variant, JN.1 which is causing similar impacts internationally,” the advice stated.

The key messages included “wear a mask, get vaccinated, let fresh air in, get tested, stay at home if you have COVID-19, and take antivirals if eligible.

“A high-quality and well-fitted mask can protect you and others from the virus,” the advice said.

“Stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccine. There are new monovalent vaccines available that are highly effective at preventing severe disease. You should get a booster if you are over 75 and haven’t had one for 6 months

“If you have COVID-19, you should stay at home for at least five days and until you have no symptoms. Speak to your GP if symptoms worsen.”

Mask Mandate in Spain

Meanwhile, a mask mandate has been introduced at all health facilities in Spain to protect “vulnerable people.”

Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia described the measure as a “common sense rule” supported by “scientific evidence.”

“It is a common sense measure, scientifically supported and widely accepted by the public,” she claimed in comments cited by Reuters.

“I don’t think it is any drama. It is a basic and simple measure of the first order,” she said.

People in the streets of Madrid, on Dec. 22, 2021. Javier Soriano/AFP via Getty Images

The measure has been introduced despite backlash from the majority of Spain’s 17 autonomous regions.

In the United States, multiple hospitals and county health departments have reintroduced mask mandates due to a “rise” in COVID-19 and influenza.

For example, in Los Angeles, the local county recently brought back a mask mandate for hospitals and other healthcare settings due to higher COVID-19 hospital intakes.

A similar mandate has also been recently introduced in New York City, with 11 hospitals bringing back a mask mandate.

“What we don’t want is staffing shortages, right?” New York City’s health commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said on WABC TV.

“When we saw the omicron wave in 2022, the biggest issues were not only people getting sick, but that we had a lot of front-line health workers out with COVID.”

J1N.1 Variant Rises in the United States

In the United States, the JN.1 variant is now also the most widely circulating COVID-19 variant, the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) reported on Jan. 5.

The variant is responsible for between 55 and 68 percent of variants of the virus circulating in the community, the CDC said.

As of the end of December, 19 percent of adults and 8 percent of children have taken an updated COVID-19 vaccine in the U.S.

“Only 38 percent of adults age 65 years and older report having received this vaccine, which is concerning given that they are at higher risk of hospitalization from COVID-19,” the CDC claimed.