05 March 2022

Across NSW, more than 95 per cent of people aged 16 and over have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 94.4 per cent have received two doses to Thursday 3 March 2022.

  • Of children aged 12 to 15, 83.6 per cent have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 79 per cent have received two doses.
  • Of children aged 5 to 11, 47.7 per cent have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Of people aged 16 plus, 55.4 per cent have now received a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This represents 59.4 per cent of the eligible population that received their second dose more than three months ago.

The total number of vaccines administered in NSW is now 16,947,719 with 4,922,605 administered by NSW Health to 8pm last night and 12,025,114 administered by the GP network, pharmacies and other providers to 11:59pm on Thursday 3 March 2022.

NSW Health encourages everyone who is eligible to receive a vaccination or their booster dose to book into a NSW Health vaccination clinic or another provider without delay through the COVID-19 vaccine clinic finder.

Sadly, NSW Health is today reporting the deaths of 10 people with COVID-19, five men and five women.

One person was aged in their 60s, two people were in their 70s, four people were in their 80s, two people were in their 90s and one person was 100 years old. Older age is a significant risk factor for serious illness and death for COVID-19, particularly when combined with significant underlying health conditions.

Three people had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, six people had received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and one person was unvaccinated.

Two people were from western Sydney, one person was from inner Sydney, one person was from Sydney’s Inner West, one person was from south western Sydney, one person was from Sydney’s northwest, one person was from the Port Macquarie region, one person was from Wollongong, one person was from the Lake Macquarie region and one person was from the Northern Rivers region.

NSW Health expresses its sincere condolences to their loved ones.

This brings the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,938.

There are currently 995 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, including 45 people in intensive care, 18 of whom require ventilation.

There were 10,017 positive test results (cases) notified in the 24 hours to 4pm yesterday – including 6,622 positive rapid antigen tests (RATs) and 3,395 positive PCR tests. The 3,395 positive PCR results were returned from 30,419 PCR tests.

There has now been a total of 419,573 positive RATs recorded since reporting began on 13 January 2022.

Following further investigation, 31 COVID-19 cases detected by PCR tests have been excluded and 330 cases previously reported as RAT-positive have been confirmed as PCR-positive cases, bringing the total number of cases detected by PCR tests in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 941,918.

Cases confirmed by PCR test and registered as RAT positive in the 24 hours to 4pm 4 March 2022, by Local Health District:

LHD Positive PCR tests Positive RATs Total cases
Western Sydney 547 786 1,333
South Western Sydney 396 796 1,192
Hunter New England 352 800 1,152
Northern Sydney 392 699 1,091
South Eastern Sydney 419 670 1,089
Illawarra Shoalhaven 308 540 848
Sydney 334 438 772
Nepean Blue Mountains 148 395 543
Central Coast 98 299 397
Western NSW 129 252 381
Murrumbidgee 80 293 373
Southern NSW 82 225 307
Mid North Coast 21 253 274
Northern NSW 8 129 137
Far West 12 28 40
Correctional settings 29 0 29
Unknown 40 19 59
Total 3,395 6,622 10,017

The Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) is the dominant COVID-19 variant in the community with both of the main sub variants (BA.1 and BA.2) circulating in NSW.

There has been an increase in the number of BA.2 sub variant of Omicron found in samples that have been sequenced. However, only a small percentage of samples are sequenced, and the proportion that is BA.2 is not representative of levels of this virus circulating in the community.

NSW Health’s latest COVID-19 weekly data overview provides information about the variants that have been sequenced over the last four weeks.

NSW Health closely monitors the COVID-19 pandemic as it continues to evolve.

COVID-19 vaccination update

NSW COVID-19 vaccination rate Total* (ages 16 and over) Total* (ages 12 – 15) Total* (ages 5 -11)
All providers – first doses> 95%83.6%47.7%
All providers – second doses94.4%79%

1.4%

All providers – third doses (ages 16 and over)55.4%n/a

n/a

*to 11:59pm 3 March 2022

COVID-19 vaccination doses administered by NSW Health Doses past 24 hours* All doses
NSW Health – first doses209
2,307,773
NSW Health – second doses117
1,950,790
NSW Health – third doses2,202
664,042
Total2,528
4,922,605

*notified from 8pm 1 March to 8pm 4 March 2022.