For the live COVID blog, please go here.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
NSW has reported 1218 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, with 13 of those detected in the Illawarra Shoalhaven area.
Three new cases were acquired overseas in the 24 hours to 8pm Saturday night, and eight previously reported cases have been excluded following further investigation.
There had also been six deaths of elderly people - none from the Illawarra or Shoalhaven districts - including three in their 80s and three in their 70s.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 834,000 people were vaccinated in NSW in the past week, reiterating there would be more freedoms for NSW residents once the state hits the 70 per cent mark of fully vaccinated. Currently it is at 35 per cent fully vaccinated.
"What I'm encouraging all of us to do is start preparing for when we do live with COVID," she said on Sunday.
"What will matter the most is keeping people out of hospital and measuring intensive care patient hospitalisations as opposed to cases."
Ms Berejiklian said a lot of thing would be done differently once that 70 per cent benchmark is achieved such as "how we move around", "dealing with quarantine", "but it will be a much freer experience".
There are currently 813 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, 126 people in intensive care (one of whom is fully vaccinated), and includes 54 people whom require ventilation.