Everyone in NSW is being asked to become up to date with their COVID-19 vaccinations and practise COVID-safe behaviours as the current wave of infections continues to grow.
Issuing the call the Minister for Health, Brad Hazzard said there were fears that the number of serious illnesses and the death toll would increase significantly unless more people immediately became boosted and took up practising COVID-safe behaviours.
Mr Hazzard said figures showed 56 per cent (1,232) of COVID-related deaths this year were of people who had had two or fewer doses of the vaccine.
“We are at the beginning of the third wave of Omicron which is likely to peak in late July or early August,” Mr Hazzard said.
“This increase in community transmission brings with it greatly increased risks for those not up to date with their vaccines,” he said.
“The best way you can protect yourself from serious illness or worse is to get every vaccination that is available to you.”
Mr Hazzard said people who were fully vaccinated had 65 per cent greater protection against hospitalisation or death from Omicron than those who had only had two doses of vaccine, according to data from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said that in addition to booking in for a booster, people should exercise common sense and wear a face mask in public indoor spaces where physical distancing could not be maintained.
“Face masks, hand hygiene, staying home when ill, testing yourself when symptoms present, physically distancing, all these measures are not new to us,” Dr Chant said.
“Unless we pull together as one again, this new wave will hit schools and businesses hard, just like BA.1 did, which saw thousands of workers absent.”
