Please note: This story contains reference to someone who has died.
An Aboriginal man has died from COVID-19 in western New South Wales on Monday.
The first death recorded in the region; the man passed away at Dubbo Base Hospital. He was in his 50s, unvaccinated and had pre-existing health conditions.
Scott McLachlan, chief executive of the Western NSW Local Health District (LHD), told ABC News today is a "very sad and sombre day".
"Our sincere sympathies and thoughts go out to the family and friends and the broader Aboriginal community across Dubbo and the whole of the region."
The man's death has raised concerns regarding the delays in vaccinating Aboriginal people in western NSW.
First regional COVID death. A man from Dubbo. Not yet clear if this man was Indigenous. Any death is a tragedy & we know that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are very vulnerable. Far-west NSW has one of the highest gaps between fully vaxxed Indigenous & non-Indig people
— Antoinette Lattouf (@antoinette_news) August 30, 2021
Our mob worked tirelessly to keep covid out of our communities. I know there are more mob & Elders in hospitalised right in Western NSW. Our hearts are with Aboriginal communities in lockdown, running out of food with covid breaking in. So Scary 😔🖤💛❤️ https://t.co/yR7SqY9WJK
— Larissa Baldwin (@Riss_Bundjalung) August 30, 2021
On Monday, NSW Health reported 1,290 cases of COVID-19 in the State and three deaths.
The LHD reported 51 cases, with Dubbo reporting the highest number of new infections.
Bathurst has recorded five cases, with four in Bourke and two in Orange, Parkes and Forbes. Narromine, Blayney and Brewarrina have recorded one case each.
Currently, 16 people are hospitalised with COVID-19 across western NSW, 12 in Dubbo and four in Orange. One quarter of these cases are currently in intensive care, with three quarters of those in intensive care currently on ventilators.
ABC News has also reported that Bathurst Correctional Centre has had up to six correctional officers test positive for COVID-19.
Breaking: Up to SIX correctional officers at #Bathurst Jail are COVID positive. Some to be included in tomorrow's numbers but some tested positive back on Thursday (which is confusing). #nswcovid @abcnews
— Jake Lapham (@JakeLapham) August 29, 2021
By Rachael Knowles
