The Illawarra has recorded its highest daily case tally since late January with 1103 people testing positive to COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour period.
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While this is still well below the record for the region - of 2228 cases recorded on January 19 - it shows a steady uptick in the number of cases due to the emergence of the BA.2 Omicron sub-variant.
The almost two-month record excludes the 1830 cases recorded on Wednesday this week, which were inflated due to a data processing issue for RATs registered with Service NSW on March 13 and 14.
Statewide, there were 20,087 new cases and five deaths in the 24 hours to 4pm.
Again excluding Wednesday's inflated numbers, NSW hasn't recorded a day with more than 20,000 cases since January 26 when 21,030 infections were recorded.
With the government warning that cases will double in the coming weeks due to the prevalence of the BA.2 sub-lineage of the Omicron variant, NSW Health is urging people to take precautions.
"We know how COVID-19 is spread and we know what controls it, so we know how we can act as an individual to protect ourselves and our loved ones, as well as the older and more vulnerable members of our community," the department said.
"We can take four simple precautions to protect each other. Please get your booster vaccine, get a test and isolate immediately if you have any COVID symptoms, use a mask in indoor settings where you cannot maintain a safe physical distance from others, and clean your hands regularly."
Officials said weekly data showed case numbers were already increasing, and hospitalisations had stabilised after previously dropping.
"The latest data report up until 12 March shows reported cases of COVID-19 increased in NSW, while hospital and intensive care unit admissions for people with COVID-19 stabilised during the previous three weeks after declining," NSW Health said.
There are 1036 COVID-19 patients in hospital - a rise of 20 patients compared with the previous day - with 34 people in intensive care.
Also on Thursday, the state death toll since the start of the pandemic passed 2000.
Senior Medical Advisor at NSW Health Dr Jan Fizzell said boosters were vital for keeping people out of hospital with the spread of Omicron.
"[Vaccines are] not quite as good as they were against the Alpha variant that they were designed for ...but what they're particularly good as is keeping you out of hospital and ICU," she said on a forum on Wednesday.
"If you haven't been vaccinated at all BA.2 is not a nice friendly variant... if you have been vaccinated, the vaccines are thought to give you protection, and if you've been boosted that's where you'll get the best protection against this particular variant."
Across NSW, 61 per cent of over-16s have been boosted overall. In Wollongong, 62.8 per cent have had three shots, while Shellharbour's booster rate is 57.4 per cent.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
