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NSW Covid cases remain high as Christmas approaches

Emily Lefroy
·2-min read

Daily Covid case numbers remain high in New South Wales, with 5,612 infections recorded in the 24-hour reporting period to 8pm on Thursday.

One more death has been recorded as hospitalisations rose to 382, with 53 of these in the intensive care unit.

More than 164,000 people have been tested in the same period.

The high number comes as the mandate on wearing masks indoors and QR check-in codes resume in NSW.

People queue up inside their cars at a drive-through Covid-19 test centre in western Sydney on December 21, 2021.
Case numbers remain high in NSW with almost 6000 cases recorded again. Source: Getty Images

Almost 95 per cent of people aged 16 and over have had one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, and 93.5 per cent of people aged 16 and over have had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.

Meanwhile 81.6 per cent of people aged between 12 and 15 have had one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

On Thursday, 5715 new Covid infections were recorded in NSW during Wednesday's 24-hour reporting period.

Victoria reported 2095 new Covid-19 cases and eight deaths on Friday, after the state government told residents to wear masks during the holiday season.

A total of 397 patients are in hospital, including 75 who are actively infected with the virus and in intensive care, with 40 on ventilators.

NSW government backflips on QR code check-ins

NSW is battling by far its most widespread outbreak, spurred on by the highly transmissible Omicron variant, forcing NSW to scale back contact tracing efforts.

On Thursday, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet reintroduced some Covid restrictions as case numbers soar ahead of the Christmas holidays.

Masks will be required in indoor settings in NSW until January 27, and density limits on venues and QR codes will also be reintroduced.

"That’s just to ensure as we move through this period of time we do have that support for our health officers over this summer and holiday period," Mr Perrettot told reporters on Thursday.

With AAP.

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