New South Wales has recorded eight deaths from Covid-19 and 1220 new community cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday.
File photo. A health worker takes a swab sample at a Covid-19 drive-through testing site in western Sydney on 7 August. Photo: AFP
The state has 192 people with Covid-19 in intensive care units and of these 75 are on ventilators.
The eight people who died were aged in their 50s to 90s.
NSW recorded 1,220 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) September 7, 2021
Two new cases were acquired overseas in the 24 hours to 8pm, and 17 previously reported cases have been excluded following further investigation. pic.twitter.com/0c8JYtoWwE
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the average for the proportion of the population who had received first doses was now over 74 percent, and noted in some local government areas that were deemed hot spots the figure was over 80 percent.
Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said she thought the state could reach 90 per cent fully vaccinated.
"I actually think that we can. Maybe I'm being too optimistic, but I actually think we can."
She would like to see the state at over 80 percent by early next week.
Victoria recorded 246 new locally-acquired cases of Covid-19. Contact tracers had so far linked 90 of the cases to existing outbreaks, but the number of those people who were in the community while infectious is no longer being reported each day.
Nurses call for more ICU staffing
Hundreds of nurses across New South Wales have signed a letter calling for better staffing levels in the state's intensive care units.
The Nurses and Midwives Association said the letter would be sent to the Premier and Health Minister asking for them to meet with nurses and health care workers.
General Secretary Brett Holmes told ABC Radio Sydney the letter was written prior to the current Covid-19 outbreak and is still gathering signatures after yesterday's modelling revealed demand for ICU beds and staff will peak next month.
"We are seeking further clarification of where all of the additional nurses are going to come from and whether they've had the opportunity to brush up their skills and be properly supported if they're going to be standing at the bedside of Covid patients who need ventilation."
