Covid NSW: Record daily cases as state hits grim milestone
NSW records highest number of daily cases since pandemic began
Dr Kerry Chant apologises over latest death
Virus spreading east to new suburbs
NSW has announced 291 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases on Friday — the second successive day a record total has been recorded.
The state has now passed the grim milestone of 10,000 cases since the pandemic began with the tally surging to 10,157 cases. There have been 4,610 cases from the latest outbreak alone, which began on June 16.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said cases are likely to continue to rise in the coming days.
"I do want to foreshadow that given this high number of cases, we are likely to see this trend continue for the next few days so I just want everybody to prepare themselves for higher case numbers," she said.
Of the latest cases, 48 were in the community for the entirety of their infectious period, while a further 48 were partly in the community while infectious. Those numbers will undoubtedly rise with the status of 104 cases yet to be determined.
Latest victim caught Covid in hospital
The state recorded its 22nd Covid death of the outbreak, a woman in her 60s. A coroner is still to determine whether a 27-year-old man's death this week was a result of his Covid infection.
The latest death caught Covid-19 at Liverpool from an infectious worker, for which Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant apologised for.
"I extend my apologies and sympathies to the family, but we know how the transmission occurred," she said.
The woman was reportedly in hospital for a non Covid-related matter. The employee worked in at least two wards, Dr Chant said.
Ms Berejiklian once again called on residents to get vaccinated as soon as possible, telling residents once we hit 70 per cent of the population vaccinated, life will be "much easier".
"It is really important, if you are offered the vaccine, now more than ever, to please come forward and get vaccinated," she said.
The premier hinted there would be some easing of restrictions prior to hitting the 70 per cent target, but stressed freedom would remain "limited".
Covid cases on the rise in new suburbs
Dr Chant said while initial hotspots were seeing their outbreaks come under control, cases were now emerging in new areas edging closer to Sydney CBD.
"What we are seeing is some flattening of the curve in Fairfield and some of our other local government areas, but we are seeing escalating cases in Campsie, Bankstown, Lakemba, Punchbowl, Wiley Park, Yagoona, Greenacre, Earlwood and Chester Hill," she said.
Ms Berejiklian said more police would now be on the ground in Canterbury-Bankstown to ensure compliance to the public health order.
Twelve cases are linked to a KFC restaurant in Punchbowl where an employee spent a week working while potentially infectious.
There were 109,547 tests received in the 24-hour reporting period while about 84,000 vaccines were administered during the same period.
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