Covid update - Thursday

 COVID UPDATE - Thursday March 11
 I still get a lot of questions about NSW taking the lion's share of returned international travellers, and in light of the stupid statements made by some of our interstate Premiers recently, here are some interesting figures.
- We still have about 40,000 Australian citizens wanting to return home.
- NSW has a cap of 3010 returned travellers a week so our quarantine system doesn't get overwhelmed. This compares to the cap of 1000 in QLD and an even smaller cap in Victoria.
- As of yesterday, NSW had taken 124,893 returned travellers since the pandemic began. This compares to Queensland's 41,395, Victoria's 35,666, and WA's 30,060. In fact, NSW has taken more than those three States combined.
- NSW has also carried the cost of that quarantine system. You might keep that in mind next time we hear from the Premiers of Victoria, QLD and WA!
 Today's vaccination figures are yet to be announced, but I can tell you that the start date for the vaccination hub at John Hunter Hospital has been brought forward a week to March 15. That means our frontline workers who are currently getting the vaccinations won't have to travel to Sydney to get them from Monday.
 In other news, there were no new cases of community transmission in NSW for the 53rd consecutive day. The Hunter Region has now gone 217 days without a locally-transmitted case.
 NSW currently has 60 active cases (all are returned travellers in quarantine).
 Australia's death toll remains at 909 with 56 of those in NSW.
 For the latest on the vaccine rollout and to check your eligibility, click here.