Another 30,062 NSW residents have joined the already quarter of a million in isolation, after contracting COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.
The state has also recorded a further 16 virus-related deaths, making for one of the state’s deadliest days since the beginning of the pandemic.
The latest case numbers were registered from 98,986 test results, down on the almost 117,000 processed on Friday.
There are currently 1927 COVID-19 patients in NSW hospitals, 151 of them in intensive care.
The state reported a further 45,098 infections on Saturday, more than 6000 fewer than similarly afflicted Victoria.
However the Victorian tally, which was more than twice its previous day’s total, was inflated by a backlog of cases registered via the state’s new online rapid antigen test (RAT) reporting capacity.
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.
Meanwhile former prime minister and Sydney resident Malcolm Turnbull announced on Saturday that he had contracted COVID-19.
Mr Turnbull says his symptoms are “moderate so far”. He’s also urging people to be polite and considerate to health workers who have encountered relentless pressure for two years.
New modelling shows NSW hospitalisations are expected to hit 4500 in late January.
The worst-case scenario places the peak of the hospitalisation above 6000, which is within the state’s current capacity, Premier Dominic Perrottet says.
He has fended off criticism concerning his decision to ease restrictions last month as the state’s Omicron outbreak took hold, saying Omicron requires a different response.
“It is much, much less severe, and the approach we’ve taken is the right approach,” he said on Friday, while reintroducing bans on singing and dancing at pubs.
“Clearly in the middle of a pandemic, when cases arise, that will dampen confidence but ultimately, the alternative is to lock down.”
The state opposition says knowing where positive RAT cases are is essential to ensure doctors, nurses, hospital cleaners and other frontline workers are in the right place, particularly for regional areas.
“Wednesday doesn’t seem that far away but in reality, we need that ability to update that status on the Service NSW app almost immediately,” Opposition Leader Chris Minns said on Saturday.
He suggested the government plan a stocktake of available teachers ahead of term one and consider turning primary schools into vaccination hubs.
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