New South Wales Health officials have added 331 deaths to the state’s Covid toll after a review of data by the registry births, deaths and marriages (RBDM).
The deaths were added to the state’s total after NSW Health cross-checked death certificates, between January 2020 and March 2022, that listed Covid as a contributing factor or cause of death.
The unreported deaths included 66 people who died from the virus at home, 131 in aged care facilities and 98 at public hospitals.
There have now been 2,422 deaths from Covid in NSW, including two on Friday, a man in his 50s and a man in his 70s. Both had significant underlying health conditions.
Of the unreported deaths, 270 occurred in 2022, 58 in 2021 and three in 2020.
NSW Health said they received data on Covid deaths from a range of sources, with the new numbers coming from doctors previously identifying Covid as a contributing factor to the patient’s death.
“Covid related deaths are notified to NSW Health from a range of sources, including public and private hospitals, aged care facilities, and the coroner.”
“To ensure NSW Covid mortality data is as robust as possible, NSW Health has been cross-checking these deaths with all those identified in death certificates by the NSW registry of births deaths and marriages during this period.”
The ministry added that they are usually automatically identified when a death from the virus occurs in public hospitals.
In a report on the missing data, NSW Health say they were unsure why the details of the deaths were not immediately reported to them, saying one reason could be that unregistered RATs could have contributed.
NSW Health were aware of positive test results from 256 of the 331 deaths, but had not received reports of those deaths. They did not have a record of a positive test results from the remaining 75.
“It is known that some infections may have been identified by a rapid antigen test that was not registered with Service NSW and some may have had a diagnosis based on testing performed outside NSW, or based on a clinical diagnosis without a laboratory test.”
“In some cases, it is possible the facilities may have assumed the death was already reported by another authority. Some deaths were associated with other significant conditions such as end-stage cancer or significant neurological conditions.”
They said that in a situation where an “expected” death happened at home, such as with an elderly person with significant underlying health conditions, the doctor may have only reported the death through the RBDM.
“As many of the deaths occurred recently, and there is sometimes a delay between a death occurring and it being reported to NSW Health, it is possible that NSW Health would have received a report of the death through the usual channels, but at a later date.”
The distribution of the deaths by age, gender and local health district largely reflected the Covid deaths already reported, with 30% coming from South Western Sydney Local Health District.
NSW recorded 25, 495 new cases on Friday, with 1,345 admitted to hospital and 43 in intensive care.
It comes as Queensland has moved to suspend surgeries in some hospitals, as they recorded three deaths and 10,722 new cases, with 14 people in intensive care.
Health Minister, Yvette D’Ath, announced the suspension, saying the mounting number of health workers needing to quarantine or isolate was taking its toll.
More than 3,300 health workers were currently furloughed, a figure that had more than doubled in the past week and a half.
Data on the latest Omicron wave sweeping Queensland showed the state was approaching the peak of transmission, with hospital numbers expected to increase in the coming weeks.
Victoria recorded 10,424 new cases and six deaths, Western Australia reported 8,731 new cases and two deaths, while the Australian Capital Territory reported 1,014 new cases and one death overnight.
