Mr Hazzardamended the relevant public health order for international arrivals overnight,which includes that a person must undergo a PCR COVID-19 test “as soon as practicable” if they return a positive rapid antigen test result. The order came into effect on Friday.
He also signed off on amendments shortening the isolation period for coronavirus cases and close contacts to seven days.
A spokesperson for the NSW Premier said the state government was“working through the logistics” of its plans to provide free rapid tests at pharmacies and service stations,with more details to be announced shortly,after the Prime Minister said free tests could only be delivered at testing clinics.
NSW reported six deaths from COVID-19 on Friday,its highest figure in recent weeks. All were receiving hospital care for their infection.
The deceased included two fully vaccinated aged care residents,a woman in her 80s who acquired her infection at Fitzgerald Aged Care in Windsor and a man in his 70s who caught COVID-19 at Kilpatrick Court at Toronto.
Two men in their 70s,a woman in her 60s and a man in his 90s,all from Sydney,also died. One of the men in his 70s was unvaccinated and the woman had only received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Dr Chant said she viewed it as “a missed opportunity and a tragedy” when an unvaccinated person was admitted to intensive care. On Thursday,the Premier said 70 per cent of intensive care admissions were unvaccinated.
With Rachel Clun
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