NSW records 13,333 new Covid cases, 2737 people in hospital

The NSW coronavirus numbers have revealed a big dip in cases, even as hospitalisation and ICU numbers remain steady.

NSW has recorded 35 new deaths associated with Covid-19 and 2737 people are in hospital with the disease.

Out of the people in hospital on Friday, 189 are being treated in intensive care units.

There were 13,333 new cases of the disease in latest reporting period, compared with the day before when 17,316 infections were reported.

NSW COVID-19 update – Friday 28 January 2022

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

- 95.4% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 93.9% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine pic.twitter.com/KejGOgIicM

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) January 27, 2022

The hospitalisation numbers were only slightly higher than the day before, when 2722 Covid-positive people were in hospital including 181 in ICU.

However deputy NSW Health secretary Susan Pearce said the number of people who were in hospital mainly because of their Covid-19 infection was in decline.

“(If you’re Covid-positive) and have a bicycle accident you turn up to hospital, we will treat that as a Covid admission,” she said.

“So what you’re seeing in the numbers now is that whole picture, so we’ve always counted everything – we don’t want to, you know, mess around with the data and say what is and what isn’t.

“We're certainly seeing a decline in direct admissions for COVID.”

Health officials have previously said they’re cautiously optimistic the state’s Omicron outbreak is past its peak.

“It is pleasing that our assessment indicates the spread of the Covid virus is slowing ... our situation is stabilising,” chief health officer Kerry Chant said earlier in the week.

The Omicron variant is much more transmissible than earlier variants, but does not appear to cause more severe symptoms.

Health officials have urged those who are eligible to get a third vaccine dose, because the booster will decrease the risk of severe illness.

NSW recorded 13,333 new Covid cases on Friday. Picture: NCA NewsWire /Gaye Gerard

Premier Dominic Perrottet said hospitalisations were “tracking within capacity” and that hospital staffing levels were improving.

“You might recall a few weeks ago we had around 6,000 furloughed health workers across our state that was putting a strain on the system,” he told reporters.

“Today that figure is around 3,700. So we are having many frontline health workers being able to return to our health system, to continue to provide that care and support for people who need it across our state.”

More to come