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NSW records 1331 new COVID cases, 6 deaths

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NSW has recorded 1331 new locally acquired COVID-19 infections and six more people with the virus have died.

The data revealed on Saturday pushes the number of NSW coronavirus cases to more than 50,000 since the start of the pandemic.

The latest fatalities include four women and two men from Sydney’s west and southwest. One was aged in their 40s, another in their 60s, two in their 70s and two in their 80s.

The numbers follow news that stranded Australians could be home in time for Christmas if a NSW home-quarantine pilot program, set to begin within weeks, proves successful. 

The test run, announced by the state government on Friday, involves 175 vaccinated people quarantining at home for seven days, monitored by geolocation and facial-recognition technology.

If successful, it is expected the NSW government would move to rapidly scale-up the program to allow many more international arrivals.

Hotel quarantine arrangements would remain for unvaccinated people under the plan.

There are more than 40,000 Australians stranded overseas due to border closures and Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters on Friday she hoped many of them could be home for Christmas.

The Business Council of Australia has welcomed the plan, saying the nation needs to get rid of bottlenecks, such as hotel quarantine, that stop Australians returning home and prevent skilled workers entering the country.

On Saturday NSW stated that 50.6 per cent of the eligible population aged more than 16 were fully vaccinated as of Friday. 

Across the state, 81.2 per cent have received a first jab.

Several regional areas will spend this weekend back in lockdown.

The Glen Innes Severn council area, inland from Coffs Harbour, will be under a week-long lockdown from Saturday after a COVID-19 case was detected there. 

As a result, Queensland has reinstated border restrictions with the region.

The Hilltops local government area in the state’s south, which encompasses the town of Young, is also under seven-day restrictions.

Albury and Lismore were sent back into a week-long lockdown on Thursday.

AAP

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