Masks are back for indoor areas after day of record case numbers

NSW premier Dominic Perrottet has brought in a new indoor mask rule as the state recorded a new high of 5715 Covid-19 cases on Thursday.

Masks will again be mandated indoors as the state’s top doctor today revealed Omicron is five times less severe than the Delta strain of Covid-19.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the advice from chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant was positive as he acted on calls from the medical community to make masks compulsory inside from midnight tonight.

The mask rule will be in place until January 27.

New rules also apply to hospitality venues which must have a two square metre requirement indoors, from December 27.

There are now 347 people in hospital with the virus, with 45 of those in intensive care.

Cases have increased by almost 2000 since Wednesday, when 3763 infections were reported.

There were 302 people in hospital on Wednesday, with 40 of those in ICU.

There were 160,471 tests conducted in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday.

Of the over 16 population, 93.5 per cent are double-dose vaccinated while 94.9 per cent have had at least one shot.

Premier Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Health Brad Hazzard prepare to address the media Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

The Bondi testing clinic once again causing traffic issues with lines back up the hill towards Dover heights. Picture: John Grainger

It comes after it was on Wednesday announced that free rapid antigen tests would be mailed directly to households and QR code check-ins will be brought back for NSW supermarkets and restaurants under changes to the state’s Covid policies.

In a press conference on Thursday afternoon Mr Perrottet also thanked the Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk changing the tourism testing requirements from PCR tests to rapid antigen tests in the new year.

“I do know that there has been a fair bit of frustration out there many people waiting hours in queues … We’re doing everything we can to alleviate that pressure,” he said.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the government was on “high alert” about the Omicron strain.

He described the new restrictions as “sensible” and “modest”.

“Anything you can do over the next few days … try and do it out in the balcony or in the backyard,” he said.

Health professionals are seen working at the Haberfield Drive through Covid-19 testing clinic as testing demand surges ahead of the holidays in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard.

Premier Dominic Perrottet, provides a COVID update in Sydney. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

Mr Hazzard admitted that testing was “an issue” that was “sucking the energy” out of frontline workers.

He urged people who did not have symptoms or instructions to get tested to avoid holding up PCR test queues.

Mr Hazzard said he it was “frustrating” that people were calling ambulances for non-urgent reasons as paramedics reported a record number of calls.

He also flagged that healthcare workers “all across the state” were being “abused”.

He revealed that more than 65 per cent of people in ICU were unvaccinated.

Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said about 80 per cent of the cases across the state were now Omicron.

“We are now seeing Delta as a proportion of cases declining. Pulling together multiple pieces of evidence … it indicates that infection with Omicron is likely to be mild,” she said.

She said the risk of hospitalisation was 60 to 80 per cent lower with Omicron than with Delta.