Orange records a second day of eight COVID cases while Dubbo infections surge

From the previous Sunday's report to this Sunday's report, Orange has recorded 96 cases in the past one-week period.

There are also eight cases in Bathurst; this figure up by six from the previous report.

Two of the cases in the Bathurst LGA are connected to Kelso and Trunkey Creek.

Infections in Dubbo skyrocketed overnight, jumping from just six cases the day prior to a surge of 42 cases in the latest report from Western NSW Local Health District; two of these cases had a Guerie address.

Of these combined 58 cases in the LGA's of Orange, Bathurst, and Dubbo, the remaining infections remain scattered across varying parts of the region.

The Warrumbungle Shire has a case count of five; three of these with a Coonabarabran address, and one each linked to the areas of Mendooran and Dunedoo.

The Bogan Shire also has five cases, with four for Nyngan and one in Nymagee.

There are four cases in both the Parkes and Warren LGA's, and three infections each in Coonamble and the Walgett Shire.

Two cases per area are recorded for the LGA's of Cowra, Narromine, Forbes and Cabonne; with the two Cabonne cases both connected to the Cumnock area.

The remaining single cases have been detected in Cobar, Grenfell and Condobolin.

A list of testing clinics are available on the Western NSW Local Health District website at https://wnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/covid-19-information#popup-testing-clinics

Attributed to human error, 400 people were given false-negative results from testing that had taken place on the days of December 23 and 24, including some of the tests from December 25.

The pathology lab at St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney had supplied these error of results to the several-hundred people on the night of Christmas, December 25.

Professor Anthony Dodds, the laboratory's medical director, said the "large volume of tests" being process were reason-to-blame for the error.

"These people had tested positive to COVID," Mr Dodds said.

"As soon as we became aware of the issue this morning, SydPath immediately commenced a process to contact impacted people.

"These people had tested positive to COVID ... [and] we sincerely apologise to all those impacted."

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said it's likely that everybody living in Australia would eventually contract the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus.

"If we're all going to get Omicron, the best way to face it is when we have full vaccination including our booster," said Mr Hazzard.

He also said waiting for testing results had inflated to up to 72-hours, though most people are awaiting results much longer than this prospective figure.

"If you're not getting results until three or four days, which is the case, it may well be that you have developed a positivity or positive viral response anyway and you wouldn't know it," he said.

Mandatory QR code check-ins have returned from today, December 27, and apply to the following venues:

Retail, food and drink premises, including pubs, registered clubs and small bars

Hostels and residential care facilities (unless a resident)

- Gym facilities (with the exception of gymnastics, dance, martial arts, yoga, and pilates studios)

Salons; hairdressing, nails, spas, all beauty salons, waxing, spas, and tattoo and massage parlours.

Public places of worship such as mosques, churches, synagogues, temples, etc.

Funerals, memorials and gatherings thereafter (i.e. wake service)

Music festivals (indoors) in excess of one-thousands persons

Casinos, nightclubs and strip clubs, including sex services premises and sex on-premises venues.

Until January 27, indoor hospitality venues will again be subjected to the one-person per two square rule.

The reintroduced rule includes pubs, restaurants, cafes and clubs; density limitations for outdoor settings remain the same.

Statewide, NSW has recorded 6,324 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases in the 24-hour reporting period to 8pm on Sunday.

Though it's true that the figure of new cases has dropped by 70 in this report, the past week has seen hospitalisation figures double.

Three COVID-related deaths occurred, with 521 hospital cases receiving treatment for the virus and 55 cases in ICU.

The first dose figure is at 95 per cent, with 93.5 per cent of adults 16+ fully vaccinated.

Figures for people aged 12-15 are at 81.6 per cent for one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine received and 78.3 per cent of people aged 12-15 have received two doses.

Testing figures have dropped from a seven-day average of almost 150,000 tests per day, and are at 97,241 in the last 24-hour period to 8pm; despite the rise in cases.