Across NSW, more than 95 per cent of people aged 16 and over have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 94.3 per cent have received two doses to Tuesday 22 February.
- 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 per cent have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Of people aged 16 plus, 52.6 per cent have now received a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This represents 56.6 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 16,740,859, with 4,900,617 doses administered by NSW Health to 8pm last night and 11,840,242 administered by the GP network, pharmacies and other providers to 11:59pm on Tuesday 22 February.
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 .
Sadly, NSW Health is reporting the deaths of 12 people with COVID-19; seven men and five women.
Five people were aged in their 70s, five people were in their 80s, one person was in their 90s and one person was aged over 100. Older age is a significant risk factor for serious illness and death for COVID-19, particularly when combined with significant underlying health conditions.
One person had received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, eight people had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and three people were not vaccinated.
Three people were from south western Sydney, two people were from western Sydney, one person was from south eastern Sydney, one person was from the Newcastle area, one person was from the Central Coast, one person was from Grafton, one person was from the Inverell area, one person was from the Moree area and one person was from Queanbeyan.
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 1,873.
There are currently 1,211 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, including 59 people in intensive care, 27 of whom require ventilation.
There were 8,271 positive test results (cases) notified in the 24 hours to 4pm yesterday – including 5,250 positive rapid antigen tests (RATs) and 3,021 positive PCR tests. The 3,021 positive PCR results were returned from 37,655 PCR tests.
There has now been a total of 371,730 positive RATs recorded since reporting began on 13 January 2022.
Following further investigation, 25 COVID-19 cases detected by PCR tests have been excluded and 414 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 913,382.
The NSW Sewage Surveillance Program tests sewage for fragments of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19 at sewage treatment plants across NSW.
Before the Omicron wave, the program provided a valuable early warning system to support the NSW COVID response, particularly in regional communities. Now that COVID is widespread in the community, the focus of the program has changed from early warning to monitoring of trends to supplement information gathered through PCR and Rapid Antigen Testing (RAT).
Moving forward, the program will sample 22 sites throughout NSW on a weekly basis. Four sewage treatment plant sites in Greater Sydney and up to 18 regional locations will be monitored weekly for up to six months as sentinel sites. These sites will be used to monitor the rate of infection over time. They were selected for their population size, geographical spread, proximity to state borders and transport routes and for the presence of vulnerable communities.
Cases confirmed by PCR test and registered as RAT positive in the 24 hours to 4pm 23 February 2022, by Local Health District
| Local Health District | Positive PCR tests | Positive RATs | Total cases |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter New England | 450 | 766 | 1,216 |
| Western Sydney | 455 | 499 | 954 |
| South Western Sydney | 347 | 552 | 899 |
| Northern Sydney | 317 | 498 | 815 |
| South Eastern Sydney | 308 | 497 | 805 |
| Sydney | 276 | 353 | 629 |
| Illawarra Shoalhaven | 221 | 359 | 580 |
| Nepean Blue Mountains | 201 | 292 | 493 |
| Western NSW | 113 | 266 | 379 |
| Central Coast | 114 | 241 | 355 |
| Murrumbidgee | 63 | 261 | 324 |
| Northern NSW | 54 | 237 | 291 |
| Southern NSW | 43 | 164 | 207 |
| Mid North Coast | 14 | 191 | 205 |
| Far West | 13 | 50 | 63 |
| Correctional settings | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Under investigation | 22 | 24 | 46 |
| Total | 3,021 | 5,250 | 8,271 |
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% |
| All providers – second doses | 94.3% | 79% | 0.9% |
| All providers – third doses (ages 16 and over) | 52.6% | n/a | n/a |
* to 11:59pm 22 February 2022
| COVID-19 vaccination doses administered by NSW Health | Doses past 24 hours* | All doses |
|---|---|---|
| NSW Health – first doses | 156 | 2,305,879 |
| NSW Health – second doses | 129 | 1,949,676 |
| NSW Health – third doses | 2,096 | 645,062 |
| Total | 2,381 | 4,900,617 |
* notified from 8pm 22 February 2022 to 8pm 23 February 2022.
