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Premier Perrottet backflips on mask mandate

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Indoor mask wearing will be again compulsory in NSW after Premier Dominic Perrottet backflipped on restrictions, in an attempt to suppress a spike in coronavirus cases.

The state recorded 5,715 cases on Thursday, just 10 shy of the nation’s total for Wednesday.

“As of midnight tonight (23 December), we will be requiring that masks are worn in indoor settings,” Mr Perrottett said.

Hospitality venues will move to a two-square metre rule from 27 December, while QR codes will again be compulsory.

“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,” he added.

Since lifting most restrictions on 15 December, the Premier had struck a confident note and urged residents to take “personal responsibility” and help lead the nation out of the pandemic.

But, cases have spiked since, with more than 20,000 testing positive since 16 December and testing clinics being overwhelmed.

Only 52% of infections were notified to NSW Health by laboratories within one day of sample collection in the week ending 19 December, down from 85% the previous week.

While 94% of cases were fully-interviewed by NSW Health within one day of notification the previous week, now only 54% are.

The surge in infections has also seen the number of healthcare workers in isolation nearly triple – from 459 to 1,364 – in a single week.

The dramatic spike – just two days before Christmas – had already pushed the government to change its mind on mandatory check-ins to venues across the state.

Check-ins will be mandatory again at supermarkets, shops and hospitality venues.

Despite the rise in cases, health advice indicated disease caused by the Omicron variant appeared about five times less severe than Delta, Mr Perrottet said.

Sydney remains the state’s epicentre of the virus, but transmission is also raging in the Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD), which has 976 new infections.

The bulk of those occur in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie LGAs, which both topped more than 300 overnight.

The South Eastern Sydney Local Health District has the most cases, with 1,186 recorded in the past 24-hour period.

The number of people in hospital has climbed to 347, up 45, with 45 in ICU, 13 of whom are on ventilators.

Most of the intensive care patients are unvaccinated.

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