NSW Premier Dominic Perrotet
At a media briefing, NSW Premier Dominic Perrotet admitted that healthcare teams are under stress but he is confident they are able to “push through the final wave of cases”.
However, he stated that at this stage NSW would not follow the path of Victoria, which declared a code brown on Wednesday, allowing staff leave to be cancelled and hospitals to defer non-urgent treatments.
His stance followed the rally of ICU nurses at Westmead Hospital who sent the message they are stretched and working in unsustainable working arrangements.
"Nurses and midwives are tired, angry and frustrated and feel that the NSW government isn't supporting them at all," nursing union official Shaye Candish said.
Today’s reported figures showed record count of deaths of 46. See figures below.
Prior to this, the number of deaths were 25, 32 and 36; a total of 139 deaths in four days reporting time.
In the meantime that the RAT result reporting is mandatory, with a fine of $1,000 if not complied with, there had been postings on social media with PCR results being very delayed or in a number of cases not received at all.