Covid Fatalities Spike Across NSW As Cases Settle

New South Wales sustains its second deadliest day with 32 lives lost as Covid cases even out.

There were 32,297 new infections reported on Wednesday, a slight increase by 2,467 cases from the previous day.

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The new cases were detected from 12,450 at-home RATs and 19,847 PCR swabs collected from state-run hubs. 

Of the RAT results reported about 10,417 were recorded from the previous seven days.

There are currently 2,863 people admitted to hospital with Covid, while 217 of those are in ICU, it is not reported how many are ventilated.

In NSW 93.8 per cent of people aged over 16 are fully vaccinated, while more than 95 per cent have received their first dose and over 27 per cent have received a booster. 

Meanwhile, NSW education minister Sarah Mitchell says schools were open when term 1 begins despite questions over RAT availability.

“Having our teachers and early childhood staff as essential workers... we will provide the rapid antigen tests they can use if they are a close contact,” she told Channel Seven on Wednesday.

“If they are well, it’s important in keeping our schools open and operational. It’s important for our kids and our families.”

- Minister Mitchell

It follows premier Dominic Perrottet's assurance on Tuesday that the government are diligently working around the clock to distribute RATs to schools across NSW.

“The World Health (Organisation) has said, schools should be the last to close and the first to open.”

“We need kids back in the classrooms, it’s best for them. It’s best for the educational outcomes, mental health and their social outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged groups across the state,” he said. 

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