It is the state’s highest number of deaths on a single day since the pandemic began early in 2020, surpassing the previous records of 18 deaths set on Monday and 16 on Sunday.Before this week, the highest number of deaths on a single day was 15, reached on September 29 and October 1 last year during the Delta variant outbreak.Chief health officer Kerry Chant said seven of the deaths included in Wednesday’s tally were people who died last year.Four people were reported since December 23, one related to a death in October and another in September, she said.She did not say when the seventh historical death occurred.Dr Chant said some Covid-19 deaths were reported to the coroner when they were unusual or the treating clinician was uncertain of the cause of death. “As you know, the virus can be in people’s nose and throat for a long time, particularly when we use sensitive PCR testing,” she told reporters.“The coroner has been swabbing all people admitted to their facilities and in those cases where there is a positive case, the coroner will determine whether it is clear cut.”She said if the result was uncertain NSW Health would wait for the coroner to indicate whether the death was linked to a Covid-19 infection.There are now 2242 people in hospital with the virus, with 175 of those in intensive care, up from 2186 and 170 respective on Tuesday.There were 34,759 new infections detected from 134,411 PCR tests processed in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday.Health officials said the number of cases would be an underestimate until rapid tests were included in the daily tally.Residents must log their positive rapid antigen tests through Service NSW after the portal went online on Wednesday morning.Premier Dominic Perrottet said people who failed to register a positive rapid test would face a $1000 fine from next week.He said the penalty would come into force from January 19.Victoria also reported 21 Covid deaths in the 24 hours to 9am on Wednesday.The state recorded 40,127 new cases from a mix of PCR and rapid tests.There are now 946 infected people in Victorian hospitals, with 112 in intensive care and 31 on ventilators.Victoria’s previous peak for Covid hospitalisations was 851 in October during a surge in Delta infections.
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