New South Wales has recorded 667 new local COVID-19 cases in the last day and a further 10 deaths.
Across the state, 88.1 per cent of people aged 16 and over have now received one COVID-19 vaccine while 66.5 per cent are fully vaccinated.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard fronted the media today alongside Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant.
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Mr Hazzard said the results had "taken a huge amount of work" over recent months and asked NSW residents not to "ruin that" by breaching health guidelines now.
There are a total of 981 people being treated for COVID-19 in hospital in NSW, of those, 195 are in intensive care units.
Of the 195, 140 are not vaccinated. While 41 had received a first dose, just 14 had received two doses.
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https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1444452161987878912?ref_src=twsrc%5EtfwMr Hazzard said of the patients in ICU, one is a child under the age of nine and three were "in the age brackets of 10 to 19".
He asked NRL fans to practice caution this evening ahead of the grand final, and warned against gathering in groups.
"Can I also say to their supporters, please be careful," he said.
"There are limits on the numbers of people who can currently gather together, you shouldn't be having people at home.
"That remains, your home remains one of the most dangerous places to be in terms of transmission of the virus. And we need to make sure that we all enjoy the game but we don't have a super spreader event."
More than 88,000 tests were conducted across NSW in the last day.
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant that although the today's numbers are pleasing, it does not mean the outbreak has been controlled.
She said a number of areas still remain of great concern to health authorities. They are as follows: Greenacre, Bankstown, Bidwell, Ilford, Yagoona, Bolles Baye, Hurstville, Ingleburn, Wollongong, Newcastle, Maitland, Wellington, Oberon, Queanbeyan and Deniliquin.
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While cases continue on a downward trend across the state, deaths remain relatively high.
Yesterday 10 deaths were recorded while Friday, 15, marking the equal-deadliest day of the pandemic in NSW.
Mr Hazzard has praised outgoing Premier Gladys Berejiklian, saying she worked tirelessly throughout the course of the pandemic.
"I have to say that she has been absolutely critical to the team," he said.
"On Sundays she has been in this building... eight to 10 hours working with health teams on all of the detail.
"For that, I think we are as a community forever grateful to Gladys Berejiklian.
He said that the news of her departure was "awfully sad".
"She has been an amazing premier, a person of high integrity and somebody that I would place my trust incompletely.
"It is awfully sad that it is come to this situation."
Dr Chant reiterated Mr Hazzard's sentiments and described Ms Berejiklian and committed and dedicated.
"The Premier has worked tirelessly since the pandemic commenced through this most difficult time and I think her clear commitment to the community is so evident," she said.
Asked on whether or not the roadmap out of lockdown will remain the same under a the leader, Mr Hazzard said that any changes would likely only be for "health reasons", but refused to rule out changes altogether.
"The crisis cabinet actually has a consensus way of reaching decisions and I can't imagine that there would be any change except for health reasons," he said.
"I feel so sad that the premier is not going to be the premier after Tuesday.
"She has done a job which has been unbelievable. But at the end of the day, she would be the first person to say that our government must continue to govern for the community."
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As the NSW Liberal Party scrambles to decide on a replacement for Ms Berejiklian, former prime ministers have weighed in on the matter, casting their vote toward the NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet.
However, concerns have been raised from within the party over Mr Perrottet's political and religious views leaning too far to the right.
The Liberals are due to make a formal decision on Tuesday.
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