Covid NSW: Daily case numbers rocket into the 800s
Daily Covid cases in NSW have jumped to a confronting new high, with more than 800 new Covid-19 infections reported on Saturday.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced there were 825 cases and three deaths recorded in the state in the last 24 hours.
It is the highest number of daily cases any state or territory has recorded since the start of the pandemic.
On top of 77 new cases in Victoria on Saturday, Australia easily notched its worst official day of the pandemic as the Delta variant runs rampant after leaking out of Sydney.
Of the new NSW cases, 676 are under investigation and only 92 cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period.
NSW Health said 38 people were in isolation for part of their infectious period, while at least 58 cases are known to have been infectious in the community.
"Even in very strict and harsh lockdowns, the virus is spreading. That is a fact, what we need to do is protect ourselves and loved ones by staying at home and getting vaccinated," Ms Berejiklian said.
Of the three deaths, two were from northern Sydney who died at Ku-ring-gai Hospital, a man aged in his 90s and a man aged in his 80s.
Both of the men were residents of Greenwood Aged Care in Normanhurst and they caught the virus at the facility.
The third death was a woman aged in her 90s, she was from southwest Sydney and died at Liverpool Hospital.
She was a patient at the geriatric ward at Liverpool Hospital and is the tenth case linked to that outbreak.
There have been 124 Covid-related deaths since the start of the pandemic in NSW, 68 of which have come in the most recent outbreak which started on June 16.
NSW has been recording upwards of 600 cases since Wednesday, eight weeks after Greater Sydney's lockdown started.
On Friday, as 644 cases were reported in the state as it was announced Greater Sydney's lockdown would be extended until at least the end of September.
The 12 LGAs of concern will also be subject to tighter restrictions and a curfew from Monday.
Sydney party cluster grows
An illegal party which happened on August 14 in Maroubra, where some 60 people were in attendance, has led to 16 positive cases.
Dr Marianne Gale asked for people in Maroubra, Malabar and Matraville to come forward for testing and isolate even if they have the mildest of symptoms.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said while majority of those in NSW are doing the right thing, some "don't seem to give a damn".
"They are out attending parties, they are out doing what they have been told not to do, facilitating the spread of the virus," he said on Saturday.
"I would just say to them, you are ransoming our future, you are making sure that none of us can get back to a normal life."
"If you are actually spreading the virus, you could be responsible for people 's deaths," he added.
Mr Hazzard added the health system in NSW is "stretched" due to the outbreak and health staff are putting their lives at risk, due to people "deliberately" not doing what they are asked to do.
More to come.
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