More than 1700 new COVID cases have been recorded in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.
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In the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday there were 1728 new cases, 857 of them in the Wollongong Local Government Area.
The Shellharbour LGA saw 357 cases, 99 in Kiama and 415 in the Shoalhaven LGA.
As at 8pm on Friday there were 53 patients in hospital in the District as a result of COVID-19.
Overall there have been 13,318 total community acquired COVID-19 cases reported since June 16 last year.
Across NSW there were 45,098 cases reported to 8pm Friday and nine deaths.
The nine deaths were four women and five men aged in their 50s, 70s and 90s, of whom eight were from Sydney and one from Newcastle.
There are 1795 people in hospital and 145 patients in ICU.
Health officials acknowledging case numbers are likely an underestimate.
The record total comes weeks from the peak of the current Omicron outbreak, expected in mid-to-late January, according to recent NSW Health modelling.
Dr Kerry Chant on Friday said current figures were an underestimate, given the high spread in the community, difficulty accessing rapid antigen tests and the expected number of asymptomatic cases.
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Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
