Coronavirus case numbers in NSW have surged more than 70 per cent in a single day with 21,151 new infections as health authorities warn testing capacity is under "enormous pressure".
Six new deaths were also announced on New Year's Eve and there are now 763 people in hospital with the virus, including 69 in intensive care, 19 of whom require ventilation.
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said it is likely the case numbers are higher than those reported as there is a lot of transmission of the virus in the community.
"If you have the most minimal of symptoms I'm asking you to please stay home, isolate and get a test," Dr Chant said on Friday.
She suggested that people use rapid antigen tests before socialising but acknowledged that "availability is variable".
NSW Health warned the state's testing capacity is under enormous pressure and requested people only seek PCR testing if they are experiencing coronavirus symptoms or have been advised to get one because they are a close contact of a confirmed case.
Test results have been delayed after surges in the number of people seeking tests in the week before Christmas.
The new cases were from 148,410 tests.
The state recorded 12,226 cases on Thursday as changes to testing for international arrivals and isolation requirements for close contacts and cases changed.
Following an emergency meeting of national cabinet on Thursday, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said his state would adopt a "more balanced approach ... that suits the circumstances of the time".
The majority of people in intensive care are unvaccinated.
The state is putting its faith in rapid antigen tests and is awaiting the arrival of 50 million tests that have been ordered.
The rules for international arrivals will be changed so the thousands of people flying into Sydney daily can obtain a rapid antigen test rather than joining the queue at testing clinics.
Close contacts and people who test positive for COVID-19 will only have to isolate for seven days.
Around 95 per cent of people aged over 16 are now fully vaccinated against the virus.
The majority (15,477) of Friday's cases are in Sydney while 1,983 are from Hunter New England Local Health District, 821 are in the Illawarra Shoalhaven region, 632 are from Nepean Blue Mountains and 597 are on the Central Coast.
The remaining cases are in northern, far western, western and southern NSW as well as the Murrumbidgee area and on the mid north Coast.
© AAP 2021