NSW records 35,054 cases, Premier confirms shipment of rapid antigen tests

The NSW Premier will spare no expense to co-fund rapid antigen tests with the Commonwealth, after Covid cases in his state skyrocketed again overnight.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has vowed the state will do “everything we can” to secure and roll out more RAT tests to the entire community as shortages and huge PCR testing queues plague clinic sites.

The state has recorded another enormous spike in Covid cases overnight with 35,054 new infections reported on Wednesday, a jump of almost 12,000 new cases in a single day.

Eight new deaths were also announced, and 119 people are in ICU out of 1491 people being treated for the virus in hospital.

NSW #COVID19 update – Wednesday 5 January 2022

In the 24-hour reporting period to 8pm last night

- 95% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 93.6% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine pic.twitter.com/o89DYX39GD

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) January 4, 2022

About 93.6 per cent of eligible adults aged 16 and over are now fully vaccinated.

Mr Perrottet revealed that shipments of RAT tests were due to arrive next week, and promised to discuss a wider rollout of the antigen tests at today’s national cabinet meeting with Prime Minister Scott Morrison and the other premiers.

“In relation to the provision of rapid antigen tests from the NSW perspective, we will do whatever we can working with the Commonwealth … whether it’s through financial support and distribution, whatever role the state can play,” Mr Perrottet said.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has promised more RATs are on the way. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

Mr Perrottet declared NSW would fork out as much as necessary to stock up the state’s supply of tests, hinting he would aim to strike an agreement with the federal government to co-fund the tests, and suggested schools could be used as collection points.

“For the tests we are currently procuring, we will have those at testing centres and we’re working through other areas, to schools, healthcare in the light to make sure those tests are there to support our state as we move through the next challenging few weeks,” Mr Perrottet said.

“By the provision of rapid antigen tests at those centres, we will see a substantial alleviation of pressure on testing.”

“If there is a financial agreement we can reach with the Commonwealth … there is no dollar figure we will not put on the table to ensure as we move through this next phase rapid antigen tests are available to anyone across the state who needs one.”

BP Edgecliff were reportedly selling RAT tests for $30. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mr Perrottet also criticised price gouging seen at retailers as RAT tests become scarce across the state.

“Ultimately there should not be any substantial price increases that we are seeing, that is concerning,” he said.

He again called for people who didn’t urgently need a PCR test to avoid queuing up and over running clinics.

Hundred of cars have been queuing at the Bondi drive-through testing clinic each day. Picture: Damian Shaw

“I appreciate and understand that many people across NSW are feeling anxious and concerned but we will get through this,” Mr Perrottet said.

“We have a number of rapid antigen tests arriving as of next week, they will significantly assist (in easing demand) … if you are not required to get a PCR test, please do not line up in that queue.”

TESTS FOR TEACHERS AND NEW SCHOOL RULES

Mr Perrottet said tests would be set aside to test teachers and students as school returns for Term One later this month, and that “plans” to manage further Covid outbreaks in classrooms were underway.

Previously, schools underwent deep cleaning when Covid cases were identified among students. Picture: AAP Image/Scott Barbour

He said masks would stay on for teachers during the first term of 2022, and that the government was “incredibly confident” students would go back to school as planned.

“Our number one priority is keeping our kids safe and our teachers safe as we open up classrooms,” the Premier said.

“There will be curveballs on the way … I can’t guarantee that there won’t be disruption from time to time… but we obviously want to minimise disruption as much as possible, we’re working through those plans now.”

He said the state wanted to see the majority of children aged five to eleven vaccinated “as quickly as possible” once the program kicks off on January 10, and warned rising cases would continue to add pressure on the state’s health infrastructure.

Children aged between five and 11 are being vaccinated overseas following approval from international authorities. Picture: AFP

“In relation to isolation requirements at the moment and as numbers increase, that will put more pressure on the school system, the health system and businesses right across the state.”

MILLIONS ELIGIBLE FOR BOOSTER SHOT

There are currently 2.5 million NSW residents eligible for their booster shot.

NSW Health Deputy Secretary Susan Pearce said the rollout would speed up to reach 300,000 doses a day by the end of January.

“Yesterday we did about 16,500 booster doses, that’s our biggest day so far … we’d like to see our numbers much higher than that and our system is prepared and ready for that.”

NSW Health Deputy Secretary Susan Pearce has urged those eligible to come forward for their booster vaccine. Picture: Flavio Brancaleone

Ms Pearce also urged people to avoid calling Triple-0 unless they were in dire need of help, predicting the pressure on the health system would continue for “the next several weeks”.

“We expect for the next several weeks we will see that pressure, we also expect that once (cases) start to decline, they will decline quite quickly,” she said.

“Our emergency departments are under extraordinary pressure … please do not fill those lines with inquiries that could be directed elsewhere.”

ISOLATION FOR HEALTH WORKERS ON AGENDA

Mr Perrottet also shared National Cabinet would discuss how handle health staff being forced into isolation, a move which has left many hospitals overstretched.

“There’ll be a discussion this afternoon in national cabinet in relation to the challenges around particularly furloughed health staff. There is no doubt we’re seeing substantial pressure on the system, not just in New South Wales around the country and around the world,” he said.

The number of health workers being forced into isolation has put pressure on already strained hospitals. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Ms Pearce also clarified that despite changed isolation requirements for health staff announced on New Year’s Eve, there was “no evidence” Covid-positive asymptomatic health staff were at work.

“We’ve made changes to the close contact arrangements for staff but I must stress it is only under certain circumstances. That is not the rule across the board,” she said.

“The suggestion that people are being brought back to work when they’re positive … we have no evidence of that.”

QR CODES TO STAY

NSW residents will need to continue checking into high-risk venues despite one government minister conceding they’re becoming obsolete.

QR codes and the Service NSW Check-in app were once used to help health authorities identify close and casual contacts of positive Covid cases and tell them to isolate.

But national cabinet announced new definitions of Covid contacts last week, with only household members of a positive case now classified as close contacts and required to isolate.

QR check in is still needed at hospitality, retail and high-risk venues, as well as events. Picture: Monique Harmer

Yet QR codes are still being used for check-ins at hospitality, retail, events and high-risk venues like hospitals, and continue to share alerts with users who have been near a positive case, telling them to “monitor for symptoms”.

Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello has defended the mechanism staying in place despite the changed contact classification guidelines.

Mr Dominello told 2GB on Wednesday morning that QR codes still “have a place” in preventing Covid transmission, despite admitting the system‘s effectiveness would have to be ”revisited”.

“Obviously (QR codes) are not in the same league as they were when we had the Alpha outbreak, there was no vaccination rate, or even the Delta outbreak when we were scrambling to get vaccination rates up,” Mr Dominello said.

Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello has argued check in codes are still necessary despite becoming less effective now that contact classification guidelines have changed. Picture: Jason McCawley/Getty Images

“We’re in Omicron, we’re moving to an endemic phase so I think they have a place. They’re a prompt, they’re a reminder that if you do get symptoms, monitor them … you can’t just walk around blindly thinking the world’s moved on.”

Mr Dominello also weighed in on the current rapid antigen test shortage and long queues for PCR testing as NSW residents continue to struggle to get their hands on rapid tests.

He hinted that testing requirements for RAT tests could soon be wound back due to the shortage, flagging his support for Omicron to potentially be handled more like the flu.

“There’s been a huge demand or surge, I think the national cabinet needs to sit down to think about what are the real circumstances that you’d even need a RAT test to be undertaken,” Mr Dominello said.

“Hopefully we will adjust settings accordingly after national cabinet.”