MOST children diagnosed with COVID-19 this year have experienced mild or no symptoms, with only two per cent requiring hospitalisation. That is despite a five-fold spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in schools, early childhood education and care services and households, when compared with the 2020 outbreak.

Speaking at the NSW Premier's press conference on Wednesday, Professor Kristine McCartney, director of National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, said in most cases, when children went into hospital it was for monitoring and social care because their parents were very unwell with COVID.

During the six weeks between June 16 and July 31, there were cases of COVID-19 in 51 educational facilities across NSW. "Important to note that there are almost 9,000 educational facilities," Professor McCartney said. "Of those 51 sites, the majority did not have any onward spread of the virus to teachers, staff, or children in the educational facilities."