NSW records 1,262 local COVID-19 cases and seven more deaths

New South Wales has recorded 1,262 local COVID-19 cases from 105,505 tests on Sunday.

Seven more deaths were reported, including a man in his 20s.

There have now been 233 COVID-19 related deaths in the state, since the start of the pandemic.

Currently, 1,206 people are in hospital with COVID-19, with 220 people in intensive care, 92 of whom require ventilation.

Across the state, 78 per cent of the population over 16 has received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 46 per cent are fully vaccinated.

In her last daily COVID-19 briefing, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said we “cannot afford to let our guard down”.

“While we can look forward to having a much better life and much better freedoms at 70 per cent double dose, we cannot afford to let our guard down,” Gladys Berejiklian said.

“We cannot afford to not keep doing what we’ve been doing – because otherwise, we will see too many cases when we open about 70 per cent double dose; and that isn’t what we want to see.”

Ms Berejiklian announced on Friday that daily COVID-19 press conferences would be cancelled from Sunday and replaced with a daily pre-recorded video from health officials.

She said ad hoc press briefings would be held as required.

“I was very upfront and honest to say that while there would be ample information provided on a daily basis, [but] I will not necessarily be the one providing the information… that is because, as I have said, I need a clear head,” she told reporters on Sunday.

“The next two months will be the most challenging our state has seen perhaps ever. And I need to make sure we are not only making decisions for the next day but for the next week and next month.

” I will still be a regular feature at 11am but not every day.”

New freedoms for the vaccinated will come into effect in New South Wales tomorrow. Outside the local government areas of concern, five fully vaccinated adults can picnic within five kilometres of home.

Inside the local government areas of concern, a household with all adults who are vaccinated will be able to have a picnic for up to two hours a day – outside of curfew hours and within five kilometres of home.

Of Sunday’s cases, 735 are from western and south-western Sydney. In the regions, 53 cases are from the Illawarra, 33 are from Central Coast, seven are from Hunter New England, 14 are from Western NSW and five are from the Far West.

Source: sbs.com.au