More than 100 people across the Illawarra had to spend Christmas and Boxing Day in isolation after testing positive to COVID-19.
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For the 24 hour period to 8pm Christmas night, there were 130 new recorded for the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.
Of those, 86 cases were from Wollongong local government area, 19 were from Shellharbour local government area, with 16 cases from Shoalhaven local government area and 9 cases from Kiama local government area.
Kylie Smith said she had to cancel her Christmas Day plans with her family at the last minute because she was still waiting results for her COVID-19 test on Friday.
On Sunday afternoon she still had not received results after she had been told she was a close contact of a confirmed positive case.
"The most annoying thing has been the wait time for results, and not being able to get home test kits as everywhere is sold out," she said.
Duc Tri was notified he was a confirmed positive case last Sunday and therefore needed to spend Christmas in self isolation in his bedroom.
"It was definitely not fun, and isolation can be very boring sometimes; but I know I'm doing my best for the community by staying inside," he said.
"I had a few plans to catch up with friends and finish off my end-of-year work but unfortunately they all had to be cancelled."
An Illawarra mother said her family spent Christmas isolated, in separate rooms and her children aged 10 and 11 had to unwrap their presents alone.
"I had to send my mum home to isolate away from us to reduce her risk as she is compromised. She lives alone," the woman said.
"My daughter who has just turned 10 said her worst Christmas present was not being able to spend the day with her family.
"My husband and son went to get a test on Sunday where they sat in the queue to only be told the site was closing and they would not be tested today.
"The frustrating part for us is they were trying to get tested due to being close contacts and being symptomatic not just so they can travel."
Meanwhile, there was an almost two-hour wait at Shellharbour's drive-thru testing clinic on Sunday morning.
"I was a close contact of a case and I got a call asking me to get tested," motorist Jake said. "I don't have any symptoms. I think it is just a formality and I am not worried. Although I didn't expect there to be such a big line up."
Another motorist Kylie was in line to get a test before heading home to Queensland after coming down to celebrate Christmas with family.
She hoped to get her result back before her planned departure on Monday. She said it was worth it to be able to spend time with her family.
Some motorists such as Katherine and her husband brought books to read while they waited to get tested after their children came down with sniffles on Christmas afternoon.
"We are pretty sure they don't have COVID but we wanted to do the right thing and get tested," she said. "We hope to be home by lunch and would have much rather been at the beach"
As of Christmas night, there were 15 patients in the district's hospitals who were suffering or recovering from the virus.
Meanwhile, the state recorded 6394 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Christmas day.
It was a slight increase from 6288 new cases across the state the previous day.
There were 458 people in hospital as of 8pm Saturday, according to NSW Health, and 52 patients were in intensive care.
No-one died from COVID-19 in NSW during the 24-hour period.
NSW Health figures showed that 109,545 people were tested during that time.
With regard to vaccinations, 95 per cent of people aged 16 and older in NSW have had their first jab, while 93.5 per cent have had their second.
In the 12 to 15 year age group, 81.6 per cent have had their first vaccination and 78.3 per cent have had their second.
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