‘Very young people’ in ICU in NSW, top health official warns

A significant majority of new Covid cases in NSW are among the young and some of them are winding up in ICU, Dr Kerry Chant has warned.

About 70 per cent of new Covid cases in New South Wales are among people under the age of 40, the state’s chief health officer has stressed.

Dr Kerry Chant appeared alongside Premier Dominic Perrottet and Health Minister Brad Hazzard for a media conference on Thursday afternoon, where they announced a return to mandatory mask wearing indoors, among other measures.

The reimposition of restrictions that were previously eased came on the same day NSW recorded 5715 new infections, the highest daily total recorded by any state or territory since the pandemic started.

The unprecedented surge in cases is being driven by the Omicron variant.

Mr Perrottet and Dr Chant did have welcome news on that front, saying early data suggested Omicron was up to five times less likely to cause severe disease than the earlier Delta strain. However it does appear to be more infectious.

Premier Dominic Perrottet speaking on Thursday. Picture; Gaye Gerard/NCA NewsWire

And the spread is largely among the young.

“Here in our state, the majority of people who are contracting the virus at the moment are generally younger people,” Mr Perrottet said, adding that officials would “continue to monitor the situation”.

Dr Chant expressed a little more frustration.

“Every day I look at the new admissions to ICU, and I look at the age range and the vaccination status. And it’s really sad to see some very young people in ICU who are not vaccinated,” she told reporters.

“So again, a big call-out to everyone: just because you’re young, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to be lucky enough to have the mild disease. You can be hit hard.

“Please get vaccinated. Get your first vaccine, get your second and get your booster.

“At the moment Covid is circulating in a very young population, relatively. And about 70 per cent of cases are in the age group of 10 to 39-year-olds.”

Brad Hazzard, Kerry Chant and Dominic Perrottet. Picture: Gaye Gerard/NCA NewsWire Gerard

Mr Hazzard expressed the same sentiment a short time later.

“The majority of cases at the moment, positive cases, are young people. Ten to 39-year-olds occupy 70 per cent of all our positive cases,” he reiterated.

“If you are going somewhere there is a whole lot of young people, for heaven’s sake, look after yourself. Don’t actually start hanging too close together with people you probably don’t know all that well.

“As we saw in Newcastle, one person went to a party and turned 250 people into positive cases in one nightclub in one night.

“Get sensible, folks, don’t try to mingle too closely with people you don’t know. In some cases, even with people you do know.

“But also, if you can, get vaccinated ... Dr Chant has emphasised time and time again, keep your distance, if you have symptoms get tested, and be sensible about how you are conducting your bodies, wash your hands, do all those things.

“Sorry, I’m getting a bit over it.”