Illawarra records 425 COVID cases but no deaths

Of these recorded in the 24 hours to 4pm Saturday, 211 were from PCR tests while 214 people submitted a positive rapid antigen test.

Cases continue to fall after the Illawarra Shoalhaven saw 463 new COVID cases in the 24 hours to 4pm Friday while the state had 8389 cases and 18 deaths.

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NSW recorded 7893 new COVID-19 cases and 28 deaths in the 24 hours to 4pm Saturday.

Saturday then Sunday were the lowest daily case number since December 28, 2021, when 6062 cases were recorded before the number jumped to 11,201 on December 29.

Of the new cases on Sunday, 4337 came from positive rapid antigen tests while 3556 came from PCR testing.

None of the 17 men and 11 women were from the Illawarra or Shoalhaven.

Two people were in their 40s, three people were in their 60s, six people were in their 70s, ten people were in their 80s, and seven people were in their 90s.

Of the 28 people who died, five people had received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, 20 people had received two doses, and three people were not vaccinated.

Six people were from south-western Sydney, four people were from south eastern Sydney, three people were each from Sydney's Inner West, northern Sydney and the Newcastle area.

Two people were each from western Sydney and Central Coast.

While one person was each from Sydney's southern suburbs, north western Sydney, Mid North Coast, Wagga Wagga and Lower Hunter.

There are 2321 COVID-19 patients in hospital, with 147 in ICU with 66 requiring ventilation.

The state's population aged 16 years and over is 94 per cent double vaccinated, while 95.5 per cent have had their first COVID-19 vaccine shot and 43.5 per cent have had their third dose of vaccine.

Those aged between 12 and 15 years are 78.6 per cent double vaccinated, while 83.4 per cent have had their first dose.

Of those aged 5 to 11 years old, 42.8 per cent have had their first vaccine dose.

Meanwhile, almost 300,000 rapid antigen tests will be distributed to thousands of people with disability and their support workers to help prevent their exposure to COVID-19.

Minister for Families and Communities and Minister for Disability Services Natasha Maclaren-Jones said the testing kits were a vital part of protecting people living and working in disability funded residential settings.

"Protecting people with disability is important because they can often be at greater risk of developing more serious illness if they become infected with COVID-19," she said. "This distribution of testing kits underpins the NSW Government's priority of protecting the most vulnerable members of the community while the pandemic continues to pose a risk."

This initiative supplements the rollout of RATs to NDIS participants announced on Friday by the federal government.

The testing kits will be distributed to almost 9,000 people with disability and their support workers by staff in NSW Health Local Health Districts working with disability service providers.

People with disability can also purchase kits using their NDIS plan funding or access their free allocation from community pharmacies available for those who hold Commonwealth Health Care or Concession Cards.

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