Gladys Berejiklian has asked NSW residents to stay focused on vaccinating against COVID-19, after announcing 825 new cases in the state today.
“The Delta strain is like nothing we’ve ever seen before,” the Premier said.
“Even in very harsh lockdowns, the virus is spreading – that is a fact,” she said.
“What we need to do is protect ourselves and loved ones by staying at home and getting vaccinated. But also being assured that once we hit 70% double-dose vaccination, then 80% double-dose vaccination, our national plans [are to] live freely or more freely than what we are now.
“It is absolutely what we need to stay focused on.”
There are currently 516 people in NSW hospitals with COVID-19, 85 are in intensive care units and 29 are on ventilators.
“We will get through this. The biggest challenge for us is to make sure we give the community positive,” Premier Berejiklian said.
The state has also recorded three more COVID-related deaths. Two men were residents at Greenwood Aged Care facility (pictured) in Normanhurst. One man was aged in his 90s and was unvaccinated; while the other resident was a man in his 80s who was fully vaccinated. NSW Health said both men had significant underlying health issues.
The third death was a woman aged in her 90s from south-west Sydney.
Meanwhile, regional Victoria will enter a lockdown from 1pm today, after the state recorded 77 new infections in the past 24 hours.
