AN Indigenous man from Dubbo has died from COVID-19 at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.
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Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders expressed his sympathy towards the family and friends of the man in his 60s who he said was unvaccinated and had underlying health conditions.
This is the third COVID-related death in the Western NSW Local Health District.
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"Of course this isn't an easy thing to talk about or mention, but it is one of the stark realities around COVID-19," Mr Saunders said.
There have been 27 new cases recorded in the Western NSW LHD up until 8pm on Tuesday night.
Out of these 17 were recorded in Dubbo, three in Bourke, three in Enngonia, three in Bathurst and one in Walgett.
In the Far Western NSW LHD seven new cases were recorded, all located in Wilcannia.
There are 488 people in the health district who are being cared for in the COVID care in the community program, with 392 people who have recovered and have been discharged.
Mr Saunders said 63 per cent current positive cases are Indigenous, 47 per cent are under 20, and 85 per cent are under 50.
Concerningly Mr Saunders said three per cent of people over the age of 70 had contracted the virus.
"While that three per cent doesn't sound like a lot, but that three per cent is 31 different people," he said.
While NSW Health officials and Premier Gladys Berejiklain continue to label Dubbo as a central area of concern, Mr Saunders clarified we are not a hotspot zone at the moment.
"We are officially an area that is being viewed as a concern because of the cases, but we are not officially a hot spot or being judged the same as those 12 locations in Sydney," he said.
"That is not happening at the moments, and if it was there would be far more stringent things in place than what we have at the moment."
The decision on when the regional NSW lockdown will end will be announced on Thursday, however Mr Saunders said it was "highly unlikely" stay at home orders would end for Dubbo and the surrounding region.
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