NSW has recorded 8911 new COVID-19 cases and one death in the 24 hours to 4pm.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
There are 1005 COVID-19 patients in hospital, with 47 in ICU.
Hospitalisation numbers are up on yesterday, when 965 patients were being cared for with 44 in ICU.
Of the new cases, 4788 came from positive rapid antigen tests while 4123 came from PCR testing.
The state's population aged 16 years and over is 94.4 per cent double vaccinated, while 95.9 per cent have had their first COVID-19 vaccine shot.
57.1 per cent have had their third dose of vaccine.
READ MORE:
Those aged between 12 and 15 years are 79.1 per cent double vaccinated, while 83.6 per cent have had their first dose.
Of those aged 5 to 11 years old, 48.4 per cent have had their first vaccine dose.
Nationally, 30,000 Australians a day continue to contract COVID-19, while virus-related deaths are already more than 420 for March.
However the nation's governments are set on winding back isolation requirements and reducing reliance on laboratory testing.
Following last Friday's meeting of national cabinet, the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee has been tasked with an urgent review of both changes.
While low by world standards, Australia's death toll stands at 5587 since the beginning of the pandemic.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says quarantine requirements are starving businesses of staff and that scrapping the need to isolate for extended periods will help the Australian economy get back on track.
The proposed alternative is for otherwise healthy people with mild respiratory symptoms to instead undertake voluntary self-isolation.
Mr Morrison says he's concerned by the impact winter will have on COVID-19 cases, and the likely effect of influenza.
Some $2.1 billion has been set aside to meet the challenges. Of this, $1.2 billion will help protect residential aged care and disability care sectors, $356 million will go to vulnerable population groups and $571 million towards vaccines.
NSW Health will release further details of today's cases at 11am.
- with Australian Associated Press
Kim Chappell
As Senior Producer - Digital for ACM's regional titles I assist newsrooms in digital best practice. Before this role, I was the digital journalist with ACM's national team and prior to that, the digital specialist with ACM's Agricultural division. I started as a general rounds journalist with The Land in 2006, moving up to hold the title of chief of staff before switching to digital reporting in 2015.
