NSW has reported 667 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and 10 deaths.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard is heartened by the drop in cases over the past few weeks but is warning people to “be careful” and respect restrictions while enjoying the NRL grand final to prevent super-spreader events.
“You shouldn’t be having people at home,” he told reporters on Sunday.
“Your home remains one of the most dangerous places to be in terms of transmission of the virus.”
Although the rugby league decider is being held out of state in Queensland for the first time, Sydney fans will be buoyed by the fact two of their own teams are contesting the event – South Sydney and Penrith.
There are currently 981 COVID-19 patients in hospital in NSW, with 195 in intensive care units and 93 on ventilators.
Of the 10 deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday, four people were not vaccinated, four had received one dose and two people were fully vaccinated.
The deaths take the toll for the current outbreak to 372.
Across NSW, 88.1 per cent of people aged 16 and over have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 66.5 per cent were fully vaccinated by midnight on Friday.
Chief Health Office Dr Kerry Chant said there had been a “significant increase” in cases in the Illawarra Shoalhaven health district where 49 cases were reported overnight.
There were 88,210 COVID-19 tests conducted to 8pm on Saturday night, compared with the previous day’s total of 98,266.
“Please sustain those high rates of testing,” Dr Chant said on Sunday.
NSW Health has detected virus fragments in sewage at Tweed Kingscliff and Tweed Banora Point in Northern NSW.
Casino is in lockdown, with stay-at-home orders applicable to anyone who has visited the northern NSW town since September 24.
Meanwhile, non-urgent day surgery will recommence in NSW private health facilities on Tuesday as transmission rates continue to fall. However non-urgent procedures at NSW public hospitals will remain postponed.
AAP
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