NSW has recorded 283 new COVID-19 cases and seven deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm.
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The seven deaths included five men and two women.
81.6 per cent of the population aged 16 years and older have now had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, while the single dose rate is at 92.3 per cent.
Of the deaths, one person was in their 40s, one person was in their 50s, two people were in their 70s, and three people were in their 90s.
Two people were from the Wollongong area, two people were from Sydney's inner city, one person was from south western Sydney, one person was from the Maitland area and one person was from the Albury area.
Four people were not vaccinated, one person had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and two people had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Two men in their 90s died at the Tarrawana aged care facility, north of Wollongong, where they acquired their infections. They both had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
A man in his 90s died at Mercy Place aged care facility in Albury where he acquired his infection. He was not vaccinated. This is the first death linked to an outbreak at this facility.
A man in his 50s from Sydney's inner city died at home. He tested positive to COVID-19 following his death. He had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
A man in his 40s from the Maitland area died at Maitland Hospital. He was not vaccinated.
There are 552 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 124 people in intensive care, 66 of whom require ventilation.
IN OTHER NEWS:
There have been 486 COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since June 16 and 542 in total since the start of the pandemic.
There were 88,664 tests conducted yesterday, which is down on yesterday's 90,597 tests.
Of the 283 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night:
- 62 are from Hunter New England Local Health District (LHD),
- 60 are from South Western Sydney LHD,
- 43 are from Western Sydney LHD,
- 24 are from Sydney LHD,
- 17 are from Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD,
- 17 are from Murrumbidgee LHD,
- 13 are from Central Coast LHD,
- 13 are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD,
- 12 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD,
- six are from Northern Sydney LHD,
- five are from Western NSW LHD,
- four are from Mid North Coast LHD,
- three are from Southern NSW LHD,
- two are from Northern NSW LHD,
- one is from Far West LHD and
- one is yet to be assigned to an LHD.
NSW Health's sewage surveillance program has detected fragments of the virus in sewage samples collected from across NSW, including areas with no known cases, such as Wagga Wagga (Kooringal catchment), Woolgoolga and Jerilderie.
Yesterday, chief health officer Kerry Chant said she was aiming for NSW to reach at least 95 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated.
"Ninety-two per cent is a great achievement, but let's get higher," Dr Kerry Chant said, adding that was required to protect the vulnerable.
"I want to get 95 per cent or even above."
Virgin Australia said bookings for flights soared in the 24 hours after Victoria and Queensland signalled they would open their borders before Christmas, once vaccination thresholds were met.
"We recorded a 134 per cent increase in bookings yesterday ... which is a fantastic result and snapshot of the pent-up demand to come once borders re-open," a spokesperson said.
Nearly half of all bookings were made for travel during December and January,
People in NSW who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can now travel to Victoria without needing to quarantine.
Relaxed requirements now apply to fully vaccinated travellers who have been in red or orange zones and the border bubble has been reinstated for Broken Hill and Shepparton.
- with Australian Associated Press