NSW has recorded 1,257 new Covid-19 cases and seven deaths overnight.
Western and south-western Sydney suburbs remain the two biggest areas of concern while cases continue to soar in the inner suburbs.
‘We have seen also an increase in cases as we mentioned yesterday and the day before in the inner city areas of Glebe add Redfern,’ premier Gladys Berejiklian said during a press conference on Monday.
‘We ask communities in those areas to please come forward and get vaccinated, but also to make sure they’re sticking to the COVID restrictions.’
Of the new deaths, one was a Dubbo man in his 90s, an inner suburbs man in his 80s, a south-western suburbs woman in her 60s and a north-west NSW man in his 80s.
A south-western suburbs man in his 90s, an inner west woman in her 90s, and another man in his 80s are also among the new deaths.
The new cases come as rule changes are made to outdoor gatherings across Sydney and a state border bubble is created with Queensland allowing people in northern NSW who aren’t locked down to travel into the Sunshine state.
NSW has recorded 1,257 new Covid-19 cases and seven deaths overnight
Western and south-western Sydney suburbs remain the two biggest areas of concern while cases continue to soar in the inner suburbs
The new cases come as new rules changes are made to outdoor gatherings across Sydney and a state border bubble is created with Queensland allowing people in northern NSW who aren’t locked down to travel north of the border
Vaccinated people with a Queensland border pass can travel north of the border to provide compassionate care or essential shopping if they come from 12 northern NSW local government areas that came out of lockdown on Saturday.
The border pass is not available for social reasons, like attending weddings or funerals or visiting family or friends.
Also from Monday, up to five fully vaccinated adults who live outside 12 Sydney Covid-19 hotspots areas can gather outdoors within five kilometres of their home.
Vaccinated households that live in those 12 local government areas of concern will be able to gather outdoors for recreation for one hour, outside curfew hours and within five kilometres of home.
Meanwhile, 12 to 15-year-olds in NSW can now book in for Pfizer or Modena Covid-19 vaccines with GPs or vaccine clinics as part of the staggered plan to get school students back to face-to-face learning later this month.
NSW has been warned of a ‘challenging’ two months ahead with peaks in Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations expected.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Sunday there had been some stabilisation in infection numbers in the 12 local government areas of concern but the virus was ‘picking up pace’ in certain suburbs.
‘We have seen also an increase in cases as we mentioned yesterday and the day before in the inner city areas of Glebe add Redfern,’ premier Gladys Berejiklian said (pictured, police checkpoint at Waverley)
Residents from the 12 LGAs of concern can leave their homes with members of their household for up to two hours at a time (pictured, local shops at Bankstown)
‘We can’t afford to let our guard down,’ she said.
Ms Berejiklian has also backflipped on plans to ditch the daily Covid-19 press conferences and replace them with video link updates provided by health officials.
The premier will make her usual appearance in front of media and alongside NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty at 11am on Monday.
Ms Berejiklian was supposed to have held her last daily press conference on Sunday, announcing live-streamed meetings would be replaced by video updates provided by health officials.
Her change of heart comes after the leader of the NSW Opposition Party, Chris Minns, announced he would speak alongside the Shadow Minister for Health.
Mr Minns has been highly critical of Ms Berejiklian’s decision to put an end to daily live pandemic updates, capitalising on the decision by vowing to front the media during the same time slot to answer any questions or concerns the public may have.
Also from Monday, up to five fully vaccinated adults who live outside 12 Sydney Covid-19 hotspots areas can gather outdoors within five kilometres of their home
NSW has been warned of a ‘challenging’ two months ahead with peaks in Covid-19 cases and hospitalisations expected
But just hours after he made the public announcement, Ms Berejiklian backpedalled on her decision and revealed she would hold a live conference at 11am on Monday.
The Labor Leader and MP for Kogarah, in Sydney’s south, accused the Premier of ‘choosing when to be accountable’ after she revealed on Friday that she would cease the conferences.
Ms Berejiklian cited ‘learning to live with Covid’ for choosing the week when cases are likely to peak in NSW to make such a drastic change to public health messaging.
‘All of us have to start accepting that we need to live with Covid because Covid will be around for three or four years,’ she said on Friday morning.
There were 1,262 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases and seven deaths, including a man in his 20s, recorded in NSW on Sunday.
About 78 per cent of the over-16 population in NSW has received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine while around 45 per cent are fully vaccinated
The seven deaths reported in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday included a man in his 20s from western Sydney and six people from south-western Sydney in their 40s, 50s, 70s and 80s.
There are 1,206 COVID-19 patients in NSW in hospital, with 220 in intensive care and 92 ventilated.
About 78 per cent of the over-16 population in NSW has received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine while around 45 per cent are fully vaccinated.
More to come