NSW has notched up another record daily number of COVID-19 cases, with 3763 people diagnosed as testing clinics are inundated ahead of Christmas.
The new infections were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday from 151,443 tests.
That is a jump of 706 from the previous day’s 3057 cases from 136,972 tests.
The number of people in hospital increased by 18 to 302. Forty of them are in ICU, one more than the previous day, and 12 are requiring ventilation.
Another two people have died with the virus: a woman in her 80s from southeastern Sydney and a woman in her 70s from southwestern Sydney.
For the first time since the latest outbreak began to spiral, Newcastle has been overtaken in the tally of daily cases.
There were 834 new cases in the South Eastern Sydney LHD, while there were 623 in the Hunter New England, bringing the number of active cases there to 5728.
With PCR testing sites overwhelmed by demand, the opposition is calling for rapid antigen tests to be made free.
Opposition Leader Chris Minns said a free rapid test would provide peace of mind and free-up capacity at testing sites.
“People are struggling to get their hands on rapid antigen tests and when they do they’re really expensive,” Deputy Labor Leader Prue Car told reporters on Wednesday.
The tests retail for about $10 or $15 and are flying off the shelves.
People are waiting for hours to get PCR tests, with many anxious to get the all clear to safely attend yuletide celebrations, while others need a negative result to travel interstate.
NSW Health is warning results could take up to 72 hours as labs are overwhelmed.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said “tourism testing” is putting clinics under extreme pressure and delaying results and has asked other states to reconsider their testing requirements.
Ms Car said there needed to be more testing facilities.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister David Elliott was asked about speculation the government was considering a plan to make the unvaccinated pay for their own health care.
“The premier and the entire government has always said we have to have personal responsibility,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
“That responsibility is everything from getting vaccinated to getting a booster to, in my mind, taking responsibility for the fact that you won’t be able to work if you expose yourself to it.”
Premier Dominic Perrottet will raise the issue of the booster-shot interval when national cabinet meets on Wednesday.
Currently, boosters are due five months after a second dose, but NSW wants that moved forward to four months or less.
Mr Perrottet, who is resisting calls to reimpose a mandate for wearing masks indoors, said booster shots were key to curbing the spread of Omicron.
Close to 40 vaccination venues will remain open over the holiday period.
The vaccination rate remains the same, with 94.9 per cent of people aged 16 and over having had one dose, while 93.4 per cent have had two.
Some 81.5 per cent of people aged 12-15 have had one vaccine dose and 78.1 per cent are double-dosed.
AAP
AAP
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