NSW records 8950 new Covid-19 cases, 19 deaths

NSW has recorded thousands of new Covid-19 cases and 19 deaths as the Premier revealed a key point about the modelling.

NSW has recorded 8950 new cases of Covid-19 and 19 deaths on Friday as rules around family members of terminally ill people at hospitals change.

Friday’s update from NSW Health revealed there were 1716 Covid patients in hospital, with 108 in intensive care.

The infections included 5289 results from rapid antigen tests and 3661 from PCR tests.

Premier Dominic Perrottet told reporters on Friday that the numbers from the state’s Omicron wave were better than the modelling had suggested.

While the modelling had predicted 270 people would be in intensive care at the peak of the wave in the best-case scenario, the actual figure topped at 217.

NSW COVID-19 update – Friday 11 February 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:
- 95.6% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
- 94.1% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine pic.twitter.com/XtycHMQ8qn

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) February 10, 2022

“So well below where that best case was, and for context, under Delta we had 240 people in ICU,” the Premier said.

The best case for hospitalisations was predicted to be 3158, but Mr Perrottet said the figure was actually 2758.

“So very pleasing … it does not mean our hospital system has not been under pressure,” Mr Perrottet said.

NSW Health deputy secretary Susan Pearce said hospitalisations during the current wave peaked on January 24, and numbers were continuing to decline steadily but slower than the modelling had predicted.

“They remain above the optimistic line in respect of the hospitalisations,” she said.

More than 46 per cent of eligible people in NSW have had a third vaccine dose.

Meanwhile, the state is set to change hospital visit guidelines so that family members of terminally ill people will be able to see their loved ones before they die.

The NSW Premier said hospital visit rules would change. Picture: Christian Gilles/NCA NewsWire

The Premier said on Thursday there had been “many heartbreaking stories” as a result of restrictions on hospital visitors.

“It has always been a fine balance,” he said.

“We have to be cautious given the high-risk setting of our hospitals, but ultimately we want to make sure that compassion is the major focus.

“The (changes) will make a real difference to provide support for those people who are coming to the end of life and ensuring that they have their friends, their carers and their family around them.”

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the new guidelines would focus on patients who were close to the end of their lives.

“This gives it a very clear presumption that if someone’s passing away … there will be an assumption that the family members can come in,” he said.

NSW Health has so far restricted most visits because of fears the coronavirus will spread to vulnerable patients.