There are 9690 new cases of COVID-19 in NSW and 18 more deaths, as the premier and tourism industry welcomed the move to reopen the country's borders.
Cases increased by 2253 from the previous 24 hours and there were four more deaths.
The number of patients in hospital fell by 31 to 2068, with 132 people in intensive care, 61 of them on ventilators.
Twelve men and six women died. Five were unvaccinated and three had received a booster shot.
Two of those who died were in their 60s, five in their 70s, six in their 80s and five in their 90s.
Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said about 48.6 per cent of the eligible population has had a third vaccine dose.
She urged people to get tested and vaccinated, including a third booster shot, even with falling hospitalisation rates.
"The vaccines work," she said on Tuesday.
"We will be having an ongoing journey with COVID as it transitions ... we may be recommending in future months additional vaccines," she said.
Premier Dominic Perrottet inspected construction on the underground Sydney Metro project at Central Station on Tuesday, saying the construction industry had played a vital role in sustaining the NSW economy throughout the pandemic.
The project was part of the state's $70 billion transport infrastructure projects that had created 130,000 jobs, he said.
"What we are creating here is an infrastructure revolution in our state that is driving jobs growth and will ensure .. greater opportunity and prosperity for generations to come," Mr Perrottet said.
"We continue to lead the way out of this pandemic here in NSW .... we continue to keep the economy moving (and) we continue to have substantial capacity in our health system."
He joined the NSW Tourism Industry Council in welcoming the federal government's announcement that international travellers will be welcomed back from February 21, saying the state needed people to fill jobs.
Greg Binskin, the state's Tourism Executive Manager, said opening the borders was the boost NSW needed.
"The arrival of international visitors will bring life back to the world class harbour city of Sydney ... before they spread out to regional areas," he said.
"Over the past few weeks, we have started to see a flow of international students and backpackers returning to our shores which is good news for tourism hospitality looking to fill thousands of vacant hospitality jobs," Mr Binskin said.
"With our borders closed for years to key markets, the pent-up demand to visit Australia remains strong, and as the world airlines start to return to NSW, it's the news the industry is starting to celebrate and plan."
