A healthy two-year-old child who contracted COVID-19 is among four people who died with the virus in NSW in the latest reporting period.

NSW recorded 14,970 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, while the number of people hospitalised with the virus spiked by 39.

NSW Health reported the toddler, two women and one man died from the virus on Sunday.

“Tragically, a previously well two-year-old child from Sydney died at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead due to COVID-19 infection,” NSW Health said in a statement on Monday.

“NSW Health asks for the privacy of this child’s family to be respected during this most difficult time.”

Of the three adults who died with the virus, one was in their 70s, one was in their 80s, and one was in their 90s.

New cases of the virus dipped by 1843 in the 24 hours until 4pm on Sunday – in line with a typical drop in the reporting of cases on the weekend.

However, there are now 1163 patients with the virus in NSW hospitals with the increase predicted by health authorities who say the state is on the cusp of a wave of new cases as the new Omicron sub-variant BA.2 takes hold.

The researchers from the UNSW who predicted the explosion of Omicron COVID cases in January say the more transmissible BA2 has become dominant and will lead to a dramatic uptick in cases. 

They are predicting a subsequent rise in hospitalisations and intensive care but say most who have received a booster vaccination should be protected from severe disease.

There are 34 people with the virus in intensive care.

NSW Health reports 58.4 per cent of people have had three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 79.3 per cent of people aged 12-15 have had two jabs and – 48.9 per cent of children aged five-11 have had one dose.

Get all the latest Canberra news, sport, entertainment, lifestyle, competitions and more delivered straight to your inbox with the Canberra Daily Daily Newsletter. Sign up here.