New South Wales recorded its lowest number of infections since Christmas, while Victoria case numbers continued a steady fall and the Queensland chief health officer called for calm before students return to schools on Monday.NSW COVID-19 INFECTIONS DROP, 28 DIEDDaily coronavirus infections in New South Wales are at their lowest since the Christmas period, while hospitalisations and intensive care unit admissions continue to ease from the staggering Omicron peak in mid-January.Sunday’s update from NSW Health revealed another 28 people had died with Covid-19, while 2321 patients were in hospital with the virus.There were 7893 new infections in the latest 24-hour reporting period – another drop from Saturday’s 8389 infections and the lowest daily total since December 28.The state recorded 10,698 new cases on Friday.Sunday’s numbers included 4337 positive results from rapid antigen tests and 3556 from PCR tests.NSW Health also said 147 Covid-19 patients remain in intensive care units; slightly down from the previous day of 152.NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet on Saturday said it was inevitable that actual case numbers in the community were higher than those being reported, he was nonetheless pleased with the state’s progress.“I think there is a lot here in NSW right now to be optimistic about,” he said.VICTORIA RECORDS SIX DEATHS AFTER RECORD TOLLVictoria has recorded 7169 new Covid-19 infections and six deaths following its deadliest day on Saturday.The state has seen a steady decline in Covid infections in recent weeks, with authorities now believing the state has passed its peak in the current Omicron outbreak.Six people died with the virus overnight after the state recorded its highest death toll since September 2020 on Saturday with 41 lives lost.There are now 652 people in hospital with the virus, with 73 in ICU and 28 on ventilators.Victoria recorded 7810 cases on Saturday — a drop after 11,240 cases and 752 hospitalisations were recorded on Friday.Victoria reversed its ban on non-urgent elective surgeries with some private and day procedure centres to resume at half capacity from next week.From February 7, Victorian authorities will allow private hospitals and day procedure centres to recommence surgery to up to 50 per cent of their normal practice levels.It comes after the government banned all non-trauma or category-one surgeries amid the spread of Omicron.If numbers continue to fall, authorities will look at continuing further elective surgeries in the state systems in the weeks ahead, with a goal to initially operate at 75 per cent capacity in regional areas and 50 per cent in the metropolitan public health system.QLD HEALTH OFFICER CALLS FOR CALM BEFORE SCHOOL RETURNQueensland has recorded 5746 new cases of Covid-19 and nine more deaths.Statewide infections dropped again on Sunday, after the state recorded 8508 on Saturday morning.There are 726 people with the virus being treated in hospital and 47 in intensive care.Chief health officer John Gerrard described the figures as good news.Dr Gerrard also said it appeared most areas of Queensland were past the point of peak Covid transmission.He also urged parents not to be “unduly concerned” about sending their kids back to school.“I know there are a lot of anxious parents out there. Please don‘t be,” he said.“There will be disruption. I think that’ll be the biggest problem rather than the true illness in their children. The other risk with children getting it is the risk of them transmitting it to the grandparents.“It’s so important that the grandparents of small children get those boosters.”Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles also addressed concerns about the impact of the Omicron wave on the aged-care sector, and calls to send the Defence Force in to evacuate some nursing homes.He said evacuation would be a last resort.“Evacuating aged care is a difficult task,” he told reporters on Sunday. “I know from first-hand experience how challenging it can be and how disruptive it can be for those residents. These are not, by and large, very mobile and well folk. “And so, if you think about moving people who have mobility issues, many of whom have dementia and other issues, moving them from their home can be very dangerous for them.”Mr Miles confirmed the Commonwealth government was working with one aged-care facility.“Of course, in an emergency situation, the state and our ambos and our health services know what to do and can do it, but it should not come to that,” he said.The Deputy Premier stressed the need for all nursing home residents and staff to be fully vaccinated with booster shots.“If more people were boosted, then less people would be dying,” he said.“Right now, that’s the epicentre of what’s going on. Right now, that’s where it’s happening and that rightly should be the focus.”
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