NSW has recorded another 286 new cases of coronavirus as the state watches a growing number of cases of the Omicron variant it’s feared has been spreading in the community.
The health department announced another the new cases on Sunday after more than 66,000 people came forward for tests.
NSW Health also recorded one death in Sunday’s figures.
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There are currently 148 people being treated in hospital for the virus, with 26 in intensive care.
Omicron concern
The state has so far recorded 13 cases of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19, with 10 under investigation.
Only about half are linked to the eight countries of concern.
NSW Health continues to investigate the growing COVID-19 cluster at the Regents Park Christian School and the Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym in Villawood in western Sydney.
Three cases of the Omicron variant have so far been detected in that cluster, with further testing underway.
The first student confirmed to have the new variant did not have any known link to southern Africa and urgent investigations are searching for the source of the cluster.
Students have now been dismissed for the year, with Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant on Saturday thanking the school community for their co-operation.
“It’s been an amazing turnout for testing ... and that’s really been useful in us getting a rapid understanding of how the transmission has occurred,” she said.
The cluster has now also been linked to the the Sydney Indoor Climbing Gym in Villawood.
Anyone who attended the gym last Saturday, November 27, between 9am and 4.30pm is a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate.
Dr Chant said she had been pleased to see a stabilisation of cases in the regions, but that metropolitan Sydney is starting to record an uptick in cases.
Instead of obsessing over the rise in case numbers, Premier Dominic Perrottet says the public should instead focus on hospitalisations and ICU presentations.
On Sunday there were 148 people in hospital, up nine from the day before, with 26 in intensive care.
The state’s vaccination rate remained at 94.6 per cent first-dose coverage on Saturday with 92.8 per cent fully vaccinated.
- with AAP