NSW records 30,825 new COVID-19 cases and 25 further deaths

Twenty-five more people have died with COVID-19 in New South Wales as 30,825 new infections were recorded.

The daily case number is a slight decline from yesterday’s 32,297, with hospitalisations also down by 82 patients to 2781. There are currently 212 people in the intensive care unit with the virus.

There were 17,647 infections found through PCR tests, and 13178 from rapid testing in the last 24 hours to 8pm. The daily report comes as parents are expected to be granted some clarity as the state government prepares to unveil its back-to-school plan. Premier Dominic Perrottet has repeatedly said schools will re-open “day one, term one” despite the prevalent spread of COVID-19.

But the details of how that will be undertaken will be presented to National Cabinet today and revealed to the public after the meeting.

Developed in conjunction with the Victorian government, the plan is expected to involve a rapid antigen testing regime. A shipment believed to contain more than a million RATs touched down in Sydney from Hong Kong overnight. An order of more than 15 million of the tests by the NSW government is expected to arrive during the next week, hopefully bringing some relief to people struggling to find one on shelves.

But this first million are set to be doled out to priority areas including schools, hospital workers, and transport workers. Millions more NSW residents will become eligible for their COVID-19 booster shot from tomorrow, with the state government bringing the mandatory minimum wait period down from four months, to three months after the second jab. The announcement came after the state recorded 32 further deaths linked to the virus and 32,297 new daily cases yesterday

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant also warned of a potential upswing of COVID-19 cases as we approach winter, calling for residents to prepare.”The future is difficult to predict, but I think those scenarios of an upswing in cases prior to winter is something we have to plan for and talk to the community about,” she said.”We are going to have to adjust our settings, adjust our behaviour.”

Source: 9news.com.au