NSW records deadliest day since beginning of Covid pandemic
NSW has announced 16 new Covid-19 related deaths, making it the deadliest day for the state since the start of the pandemic.
The previous record of 15 deaths was set on September 29.
On Sunday morning, NSW Health announced there were 30,062 positive new cases.
The latest case numbers were registered from 98,986 test results, down on the almost 117,000 processed on Friday.
There are 1,927 people in hospital — up from 1,795 on Saturday. There are 151 people are in the ICU.
Covid hospitalisations expected to hit 4,500
New modelling shows NSW hospitalisations are expected to hit 4,500 in late January.
The worst-case scenario places the peak of hospitalisations above 6000, which is within the state's current capacity, Premier Dominic Perrottet has said.
He has fended off criticism concerning his decision to ease restrictions last month as the state's Omicron outbreak took hold, saying the Covid variant requires a different response.
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"It is much, much less severe, and the approach we've taken is the right approach," he said on Friday.
On Saturday, NSW recorded 45,098 new Covid-19 cases.
Victoria announced 51,356 new cases after the state established a system where people can report their positive rapid antigen tests.
NSW is yet to launch a similar system in a bid to speed up its testing regime but is expected to make the switch by mid-week — at which point case numbers are expected to surge afresh.
Residents will be able to register their results through the Service NSW app.
Saturday was the first day of new restrictions in NSW, with singing and dancing in indoor venues banned, with the exception of weddings.
Elective surgery is also postponed until mid-February.
In NSW, 93.7 per cent of people aged over 16-years-old has had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine and 78.1 per cent of children aged between 12 to 15-year-olds are fully vaccinated.
With AAP
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