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Outgoing Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced changes to the booster program.Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The demand for booster shots has increased as 382 people are being treated for COVID-19 in NSW hospitals,up from 347 on Thursday,as the state recorded 5612 new cases.

Fifty-three patients are being treated in intensive care,compared to 45 on Thursday and 244 in September. A fully vaccinated woman in her 90s in a nursing home died with the virus.

The pre-Christmas rush for COVID testing ratcheted up even further,with 164,144 tests,the second-highest tally of daily swabs collected during the pandemic. In response NSW Health is asking people to only get swabbed if they have symptoms or are close contacts.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant encouraged people to book booster shots when they become eligible,and urged people to avoid being tested unless symptomatic.

"Please… don't get tested unless you are feeling unwell,"Dr Chant said."It is important that we keep those testing resources focused on people that have symptoms."

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet announced on Thursdaythe reintroduction of some restrictions as COVID-19 case numbers grow,particularly in the Sydney CBD and Newcastle.

Masks are now required to be worn indoors,including in offices,until January 27. Density limits of one person per two square meters in indoor hospitality venues will return on December 27,for a month.

QR code check-ins will resume for retail and hospitality after Boxing Day,despite NSW Health focusing contact tracing efforts on household contacts of confirmed cases. Anyone who can work from home is encouraged to do so.

About 1500 hospital workers across the state’s health system are isolating due to COVID,and some staff have been asked to reconsider taking Christmas leave to bolster the workforce as the outbreak grows.

Paramedics across Sydney are reportingrecord numbers of triple zero calls,with wait times of up to an hour for the highest level life-threatening emergencies.

The Newcastle and City of Sydney local government areas have recorded the highest number of cases in the past week,with large clusters linked to social gatherings driving up transmission.

Among Friday's reported cases,1218 were from south-eastern Sydney,862 from Sydney local health district,780 from western Sydney and 641 from Northern Sydney. The Hunter had 592 cases,a lower figure than previous days.

New data from the UK overnight shows the Omicron strain appears to beless severe than previous variants,despite being more contagious. Someone with Omicron is up to 70 per cent less likely to be hospitalised,compared with the Delta strain,the UK government said.

Long delays for PCR tests and results has caused NSW Health to request only people with symptoms or close contacts to get swabbed.Credit:Flavio Brancaleone

With Lucy Carroll and Tom Rabe

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