NSW reported a record 1542 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 on Friday and nine deaths.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she would stop delivering daily COVID-19 media briefings from next week, but NSW Health staff would post daily video updates.
"From Monday at 11am, Health will provide a daily health update and myself and [Health Minister Brad] Hazzard or any other relevant Minister will present to the community on a needs basis," she said.
Ms Berejiklian said the government would continue to publish daily case numbers indefinitely.
Of the new cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday:
- 506 are from South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD)
- 402 are from Western Sydney LHD
- 199 are from Sydney LHD
- 134 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD
- 88 are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD
- 38 are from Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD
- 30 are from Northern Sydney LHD
- 28 are from Western NSW LHD
- 26 are from Central Coast LHD
- 13 are from Hunter New England LHD
- five are from Far West LHD
- three are from Southern NSW LHD
- 49 are in correctional settings
- 21 cases are yet to be assigned to an LHD.
A man in his 60s from western Sydney died at home.
A man in his 70s from south-eastern Sydney died at Prince of Wales Hospital.
A woman in her 40s from south-western Sydney died at Liverpool Hospital.
A man in his 70s from Sydney's southern suburbs died at home.
A woman in her 50s from the Central Coast died at Gosford Hospital.
A man in his 60s from western Sydney died at Royal North Shore Hospital.
A woman in her 80s from western Sydney died at Ryde Hospital.
A man in his 30s from Nepean Blue Mountains died at Nepean Hospital.
A man in his 50s from south-western Sydney died in Liverpool Hospital.
The state has recorded 162 COVID-related deaths in NSW since June 16 and 218 in total since the start of the pandemic.
The number of COVID patients in hospital has reached 1156, including 207 in intensive care and 89 on ventilators.
The state has reached a first-dose vaccination rate of 76.4 per cent of those aged 16 and over.
The ratio of over-16s who have received both doses is 43.6 per cent.
Seven of the 13 new cases in the Hunter were infectious in the community.
- Eight were in Port Stephens LGA, including one in Anna Bay whose infectious status is under investigation.
- Two cases in Fingal Bay were isolating while infectious and linked to a positive family member.
- One person from Fern Bay was infectious in the community and linked to a visitor from Sydney.
- One case in Heatherbrae was isolating while infectious and linked to the Motto Farm Motel cluster.
- A case in Nelson Bay was infectious in the community and linked to a positive family member.
- A case in Shoal Bay was isolating while infectious and linked to a household contact.
- A case at Soldiers Point was infectious in the community and not linked to a known source.
- Four cases in Lake Macquarie LGA included three at Wyee Point who were infectious in the community and linked to a household contact and one in Murrays Beach whose infectious status remains unknown.
- A case from Singleton was infectious in the community with no known source of infection.
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