NSW Covid updates: 92,264 new cases after RATs recorded

The NSW daily Covid case total has exploded after positive rapid antigen tests since January 1 were included – but health authorities have warned there could be double-ups. Here’s why.

The NSW daily Covid case total has exploded after positive rapid antigen tests from the past 12 days were officially included, but health authorities have been quick to issue a disclaimer.

There were 92,264 new cases reported to NSW Health in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday, including 61,400 positive RAT results received since January 1 – 50,729 positive RATs were reported in the past seven days.

There were almost 31,000 cases detected by PCR tests yesterday and 22 more people died from the virus in NSW. More than 2,300 people are in hospital battling Covid.

Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

NSW Health said on social media that some people may have reported positive RATs for multiple days or reported the result after also receiving a positive PCR.

“Please note there may be some cases included in these numbers where people have reported positive RATs on multiple days and/or where people have also had a positive PCR test during the same reporting period,” the post said.

It comes after Premier Dominic Perrottet announced the new reporting mechanism for RATs on the Service NSW app on Thursday.

Anyone who tests positive for the virus on a RAT must declare their result or face a $1000 fine.

Customer Service Minister Mr Dominello stood by the decision on Thursday morning despite conceding it was “almost impossible” to track.

How to register your positive RAT result

Most states now provide an online form where you can register a positive Rapid Antigen Test result.

In some states, registration for positive for Rapid Antigen Test is complulsory. You will need to register the result or face a fine.

Here’s how to do it in the states where it is available.

• Register in Victoria

• Register in New South Wales

• Register in Queensland

• Register in South Australia

• Register in Northern Territory

• Register in Tasmania

 

“I accept that it‘s very difficult to police … it’s almost going to be impossible in many ways to enforce,” he told Channel 9.

“We just want to send the message out that this is really important,”.

“It‘s also showing the public that we take this seriously, as a government, as a community, we need to take this seriously.”

Mr Dominello said by lodging positive RAT results via Service NSW, it could act as proof people had Covid for “grants in the future”.

“For example, if you need to get financial assistance in the Federal Government, hypothetically and they need to say, ‘well, show us that you had Covid’, You would need to demonstrate that you had tested positive,” he said.