A further 36 COVID-19 deaths have been recorded in NSW and Victoria

Another 16 people have died after contracting COVID-19 in NSW, with 20 deaths being reported in Victoria.

There were 8,201 new COVID-19 cases reported on Tuesday in NSW, which is 2,017 more cases of the virus than reported the previous day. The state also recorded two more deaths than the previous day.

Hospitalisations have dropped slightly overnight by 66 to 1,583, while there are 96 people in intensive care – four fewer than reported by NSW Health on Monday.Advertisement

About 48.5 per cent of eligible people have received a booster shot.

Victoria has reported 8,162 new COVID-19 cases and 20 deaths, as new data highlights the effectiveness of a third vaccine shot.

Of the new cases revealed on Tuesday, 6,128 were detected through rapid antigen tests and 2,034 via PCR lab testing.

Active cases are continuing to fall, dropping from 53,707 to 50,967.

There are 441 people in Victorian hospitals, down 24 from Monday’s number. Of these, 67 COVID-19 patients are in intensive care and 14 currently require ventilation.

About 51 per cent of Victorians aged 18 and over have rolled up their sleeve for a third jab, after 10,930 doses were administered at state-run hubs on Monday.

Victoria’s health department has released data showing triple-jabbed Victorians are less likely to end up in hospital, ICU or dying than the double vaccinated.

The data demonstrates those who have had their third dose are 4.5 times less likely to go to hospital with COVID-19 than someone with two doses, and six times less likely than the unvaccinated.

Intensive care figures also showed double-dosed people were 7.6 times more likely to end up in ICU than the triple-jabbed, while that figure jumped to 34 times when comparing the unvaccinated with boosted individuals.

In addition, triple-vaccinated Victorians have been 88 times less likely to die from COVID-19 since the start of the year compared to someone of their own age who was either unvaccinated or had one dose.

That figure dropped marginally to 66 times less likely for the double-dosed.

COVID Response commander Jeroen Weimar said about 2.5 million Victorians are eligible for a third dose shot but are yet to receive it.

He acknowledged many people have had COVID-19 in the past six or seven weeks, but said they shouldn’t be putting it off.

“If your symptoms have gone, then you can go and get your third dose,” Mr Weimar told reporters.

Nurses strike in NSW

Meanwhile, nurses in around 150 NSW public hospitals are going on strike for the first time in nearly a decade.

A skeleton staff will remain at hospitals to ensure patient safety.

Thousands of nurses will rally outside NSW Parliament House to take their message to MPs as they return to Macquarie Street for the first sitting day of the year.

NSW Nurses and Midwives Association general secretary Brett Holmes says nurses have made the “difficult” decision to strike because they are stretched to the limit.

“They want significant change to occur and they need it to start happening now,” he said.

Nurses want one nurse to every four patients on every shift and a pay increase above the government’s prescribed public sector offer of 2.5 per cent.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard says he’s disappointed by the strike is proceeding, saying the changes they want would cost the state about $1 billion to implement.

Source: sbs.com.au