The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) has recorded 1396 new COVID-19 cases to the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
These figures are based on PCR tests only and do not include positive cases from self-reported rapid antigen tests (RATs). It could also be affected by the closure of a number of testing clinics this week to allow services to catch up on outstanding pathology results.
It includes 760 cases in the Wollongong Local Government Area (LGA), 345 cases in Shellharbour LGA, 208 cases in the Shoalhaven LGA and 83 cases in Kiama LGA.
This is a drop from the 2169 cases reported in the local health district the previous day, but is the result of a move away from PCR tests, according to the ISLHD COVID-16 case update.
"As people increasingly follow NSW Health's advice to use rapid antigen tests for diagnosing COVID-19, the number of PCR tests reported daily will not fully reflect the true number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19," ISLHD said.
"At this stage we don't have the breakdown of RATs for our local health district, but work to provide this information is continuing."
There are 96 COVID-19 patients in hospitals in the district. No local deaths were reported in the past 24 hours.
A breakdown of cases via postcode is as follows: 2500 - 155; 2502 - 72; 2505 - 21; 2506 - 28; 2508 - 43; 2515 - 34; 2516 - 29; 2517 - 41; 2518 - 83; 2519 - 56; 2525 - 32; 2526 - 70; 2530 - 96; 2527 - 92; 2528 - 108; 2529 - 145; 2535 - 12; 2538 - 5; 2539 - 61; 2540 - 78; 2541 - 52; 2533 - 59; 2534 - 24.
ISLHD reminded residents that "anyone who tests positive using a RAT is now required to register their result with Service NSW via the website or app under a Public Health Order". There is a $1000 fine for failure to register a positive result.
"Registering your RAT result enables NSW Health to provide you with advice on self-isolation and managing COVID-19 symptoms at home, to connect high-risk people to clinical care services and to help inform the ongoing public health response."
It comes as NSW recorded a total of 92,264 new cases in the 24-hour period. Of those, 30,877 were from PCR tests and 61,387 were from Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs), which were accepted for the first time on Wednesday.
NSW Health said these figures included cases as far back as January 1, with 50,729 positive tests from the past seven days, and could include multiple positive RATs from the same people if reported more than once or a doubling up with positive PCR tests.
Tragically, there were also 22 deaths reported, including 13 men and nine women, 14 of whom were vaccinated.
One person was aged in their 60s, eight people were in their 70s, seven were in their 80s, five were in their 90s and one person was over 100.
It brings the total number of COVID-related deaths in NSW since the start of the pandemic to 799.
According to NSW Health, there are currently 337,818 active COVID cases in NSW. There are 2383 people in hospital, of whom 182 are in intensive care and 60 require ventilation.
NSW Health is encouraging anyone who is eligible to receive a vaccination or booster dose to book into a NSW Health vaccination clinic or another provider without delay through the COVID-19 vaccine clinic finder.
According to NSW Health, 95.1 per cent of people aged 16 and over have received a first dose of a vaccine while 93.7 per cent have received two doses as at Tuesday, January 11.
Children aged 12 to 15 have a first-dose vaccination rate of 81.7 per cent and 78.2 per cent have received two doses.
Vaccination of children aged five to 11 commenced Monday and so far 4 per cent have received a first dose.
NSW Health says the total number of vaccines administered across the state stands at almost 14.3 million.
The Illawarra Mercury newsroom is funded by our readers. You can subscribe to support our journalism here.