Dubbo has recorded the deaths of three elderly COVID-19 patients, bringing the Western region's death toll to seven during the latest outbreak.
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A fully vaccinated woman in her 90s at Dubbo's Holy Spirit Aged Care Facility passed away within the 24 hours to 8pm Thursday, along with a fully vaccinated woman and an Aboriginal man, both in their 80s at St Mary's Aged Care Facility.
The man had only received one vaccine dose.
Western NSW Local Health District chief executive Scott McLachlan said it was 'upsetting' news for Dubbo.
"There are now 21 cases of COVID-19 at St Mary's, with no new cases recorded for Holy Spirit in 24 hours to 8pm Thursday," he said.
"On a positive note, we do have three recovered cases in our aged care facilities."
On Friday, the region reported a further 15 cases bringing the region's total to 1039. Of the 15 cases nine are in Dubbo, three in Wellington, one in Bathurst, one in Orange, one in Blayney and one in Narromine.
The positive Narromine case will be re-tested as there are concerns it may have been a false positive.
Of the 15 cases, two are known to have been infectious in the Dubbo community.
NSW Far West also reported a further four cases, three in Wilcannia and one in Bourke.
Another 34 cases have been released from the Community Care Program and are no longer infectious.
Across the region there are 18 cases in hospital, four are in intensive care with three requiring ventilation.
"We can confirm that 80 per cent of people in hospital are unvaccinated," Mr McLachlan said.
"Two of those are people in their 20s, so I want to remind everyone, COVID-19 is not an old person's disease. It does not discriminate."
There are nine cases hospitalised in Dubbo, six in Bathurst, two in Orange and one in Brewarrina.
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Three elderly Dubbo residents have died with COVID-19.
A woman in her 80s died at the Holy Spirit aged care facility, as well as a woman in her 90s and a man in his 80s from St Mary's Villa.
It's the third COVID-related death at St Mary's Villa.
Overall, there were 12 people who died with COVID in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday.
"Every day the statistics are given out in detail, but behind every death there is a family," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
"It's a reminder of how sinister and deadly this virus is."
Earlier in the week, Western NSW Local Health District chief executive Scott McLachlan said staff members had been brought into the aged-care facilities to help target infection control as the situation at both locations remained "concerning".
Western NSW Local Health District also recorded 15 new cases in the 24 hour period. Of those, seven are in Dubbo and three are in Wellington. Single cases have also been identified in Narromine, Bourke, Bathurst, Blayney and Orange.
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