18 Dec 2021

NSW records highest daily Covid-19 case numbers with 2482 infections, one death

11:32 am on 18 December 2021

New South Wales has recorded 2482 new cases of Covid-19 and one death.

Health officials collect COVID-19 swab tests at a drive-through testing site on Bondi beach in Sydney.

Health officials collect COVID-19 swab tests at a drive-through testing site on Bondi beach in Sydney. Photo: AFP or licensors

The case numbers are the highest recorded in any Australian jurisdiction in a 24-hour reporting period.

There are 206 people in hospital with the virus in the state, 26 are in intensive care.

Two weeks ago, the daily infection figure was 325 and then 560 cases were recorded a week after that on 11 December.

The latest case numbers have surpassed Victoria's daily Covid-19 infection peak of 2297 on 14 October.

The latest figures have come from more than 137,149 tests taken in the reporting period.

The surge in cases in NSW has also triggered a mass vaccination uptake with 47,860 vaccinations administered in yesterday's reporting period, up from 17,075 only a week ago.

The reporting period for New South Wales runs for 24 hours and ended 8pm last night.

In the state, 93.3 percent of people aged 16-plus have had two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.

All 600 people who attended a Taylor Swift-themed party at the Metro Theatre in Sydney last Friday night have been deemed close contacts and are required to undertake a seven-day isolation.

Yesterday there were 2213 new cases in the state. About a quarter of these cases came from the Hunter New England region, with three Newcastle pubs and a nightclub listed as venues of concern.

Meanwhile Victoria records 1504 new cases and seven more deaths.

Ninety-two percent of those eligible for vaccination in the state, aged 12 and over, have had a double dose.

There are 384 people in hospital and 84 people in intensive case.

- ABC

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