NSW's Covid-19 restrictions around mask wearing and venue capacity have been extended for another month, after the state recorded 29 new virus deaths.
The EU listed Australia as a Covid-19 hotspot this week. Photo: AFP
The state of Victoria also announced another 29 deaths from Covid-19 in its latest update.
Today marks two years since the first cases of Covid-19 were reported in Australia.
On 23 January 2020, the Chinese city of Wuhan was forced into lockdown due to a growing outbreak of the then little-known virus.
Two days later, Covid-19 was detected in a Victorian man aged in his 50s who had previously been in Wuhan, and had arrived in Melbourne on a flight from Guangzhou six days earlier.
That same day, three more cases were confirmed in New South Wales - in men who had also flown in from China.
Two years on, Australia has recorded about 2 million cases and 3103 deaths.
This week, the European Union listed Australia as a Covid-19 hotspot.
People have been 'to hell and back' - health minister
The number of people with Covid-19 in hospital increased to 2943, of whom 183 are in intensive care.
There were 18,512 new cases recorded in the reporting period, of which 9090 were from positive rapid-antigen tests and 9422 were from PCR swabs.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said the current Covid-19 restrictions in NSW would continue until 28 February while the state focused on getting children back in schools and resuming non-urgent elective surgery.
The restrictions include wearing masks in all indoor settings (except homes), compulsory QR code check-ins and no singing or dancing at events except for weddings.
Of the 29 people who died, two had received three vaccine doses, 21 had two doses and six were not vaccinated.
They ranged in age from their 60s to more than 100 years old and the one person under 65 who died was not vaccinated and had serious underlying medical conditions, Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said.
She urged people to ignore false comments circulating on social media about severe side effects of booster shots and emphasised their importance in curbing the Omicron wave.
"Can I just tell you, that the side effects are short-lived but the protection it affords is incredibly important," she said.
"Please do not be put off."
Dr Chant said fewer people were reporting the need to take a day off work or pause normal activities after a booster, compared to after first and second doses.
So far 33.8 percent of the eligible population have had a booster in NSW.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the two-year anniversary meant everyone had since been to "hell and back".
There is now a growing trend of people with mental health issues not seeking help, which was also noticed at the start of the pandemic in 2020.
NSW chief psychiatrist Murray Wright said people might think delaying their care would ease pressure on the system, but that was "not true".
File photo. Photo: AFP or licensors
29 deaths in Victoria
Victoria has recorded the deaths of 29 more people with Covid-19.
The number of people in hospital with the virus sits at 1057, up from 998 yesterday.
Of those in hospital, 119 are in intensive care units, and 45 are on ventilators.
There were 14,836 new cases officially reported in the state, a jump from the 11,695 a day earlier.
The total was reached through 8539 rapid antigen tests (RATs) and 6297 PCR test results.
About 32 percent of Victorians aged 18 and above have had a third dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.
About 32 percent of children aged between five and 11 have had their first dose of a paediatric vaccine, which became available on 10 January.
- ABC