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Ichi Ban skipper Matt Allen has tipped the smaller yachts to shine in the battle for Sydney to Hobart race overall honours, as his boat bids to become the first in 57 years to win the main handicap prize in consecutive races.

Allen said the forecast didn't suit higher-rated boats like his 52-footer, which took overall honours in the 2017 and 2019 races and is favourite again.

He said the race was likely to be pretty slow with the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting a predominance of south to south-easterly winds, with southerlies increasing to 25 knots later on Sunday.

Allen estimated it would take Ichi Ban just over three days to complete the course, much longer than any of its three previous Hobart efforts.

"I'd probably favour the smaller boats for the overall win," Allen told AAP.

"They haven't had a good run the last few years, I think this is possibly their year.

"It's hard to pick which boat, but certainly I think a boat that's smaller size is going to be advantaged and might even bring up a nor-easter towards the back end when we've been on the racetrack for a long period of time.

"Therefore there's a lot of time that those guys have got before they need to finish.

"It will definitely favour the smallest boats in the fleet, (36-foot) White Bay 6 Azzurro, maybe even (47-foot) Love & War, boats like that."

A win for Love & War would give the 48-year-old boat an unprecedented four overall titles, breaking a record she presently shares with Freya.

Should Ichi Ban win, she will become the first boat since Freya in 1964 to claim back-to-back race overall victories.

Allen said every Hobart race presented competitors with two or three big decisions, but that might increase to six or seven this year.

He didn't expect crews to get much rest and sleep on Sunday night as he thought they were in for a bumpy ride.

© AAP 2021

The COVID-19 infection count continues to grow in NSW, where Health Minister Brad Hazzard has warned every Australian will likely catch the Omicron variant.

A new record daily case count of 6394 was reported on Sunday, from reduced testing numbers on Christmas Day.

There were 109,545 tests, a drop of around 40,000.

No deaths were reported but hospitalisations are up to 458 from 388. There are 52 people in ICU - the majority are unvaccinated.

The state hit its 95 per cent single dose vaccination rate for people aged 16 and over on Christmas Eve, Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Sunday.

The second dose rate is at 93.5 per cent. Among those aged 12-to-15, 81.6 per cent have received at least one dose and 78.3 per cent are double vaccinated.

"We never believed we would reach that rate," he said.

"To be in a position now where we have one of of the highest vaccination rates, not just in Australia but globally, ensures that as we open up we're able to do so as safely as possible."

But Mr Hazzard cautioned that case numbers will continue to rise with the Omicron variant.

"Everyone in NSW is probably going to get Omicron at some stage. Everybody in Australia will get Omicron," he said, noting vaccination was the best way to face that prospect.

It's highly likely everyone will spend 10 days in isolation in the next two or three years, he said, but he noted symptoms appear milder and the current approach to isolation may change.

"Early evidence both internationally and here ... is indicating that it's nowhere near as severe, so on that basis we're looking at how we reconfigure our approach," he said.

The premier, who visited a major Sydney vaccination hub at Olympic Park, said he would receive his booster later on Sunday.

He has urged people to get their third doses as soon as they're eligible - four months after their second dose from January 4 and three months after from January 31.

Authorities are also encouraging people who don't have symptoms or aren't required to get PCR tests by NSW Health or in order to travel to instead use rapid antigen tests.

The spiralling outbreak has for the past week swamped contact tracers and overwhelmed testing sites.

Mr Hazzard also implored states requiring PCR tests for travel to rethink the policy.

The average wait for results is between 48 and 72 hours, but there have been cases where wait times have gone past 72 hours.

"It will take the pressure off our health system ... take the heat off the pathology capacity allowing pathology to be used what it should be for," he said.

Labor says it isn't good enough for the government to say everyone will get Omicron.

"Where's the planning and where's the resources and where's the leadership?" opposition health spokesman Ryan Park said on Sunday.

"Where's the plans for hospitals? For health workers? Are there enough resources for testing clinics to cope with demand?

"We've got many people in NSW with COVID symptoms or positive RAT tests without access to a PCR test. Many clinics are closed for the next few days. That's not good enough."

Current case numbers prompted the government to reintroduce some restrictions that had been wound back on December 15.

Masks are again required in indoor settings, with hospitality venues to return to the one person per two-square metre rule and QR codes to be compulsory again from Monday.

© AAP 2021

Australians are indulging in some post-Christmas retail therapy as they hit the Boxing Day sales online and in store.

Masks, rising COVID numbers and Omicron uncertainty haven't put off the nation's bargain hunters who are expected to spend $2.9 billion in store and a further $1.2 billion online.

The National Retail Association says it hasn't seen figures like this in 11 years.

It expects the driving force is pent up demand from consumers stuck in lockdown for much of the year.

NRA CEO Dominique Lamb said buying trends reflected how Australian's are getting back to normal life.

She said clothing, footwear, jewellery and personal items were popular purchases as people move on from the comfortable loungewear bought for staying at home.

But household items were still trending heavily, indicating Australians were still "preparing the nest" in case there was another lockdown, she said.

While state governments consider whether to mandate a third vaccine dose, retailers are calling for more certainty.

Ms Lamb said business owners and consumers were confused about the advice on the effect of the Omicron variant and the changing rules.

"Consistency is always best for us," she said.

"At the end of the day, we need to follow the science and we would hope this issue isn't politicised."

But the statistics aren't all fun as research shows 56 per cent of workers have suffered abuse during the pandemic.

The retail workers union want shoppers to remember their masks and their manners.

"We know that shopping centres can be very busy and pressure can build as people seek a bargain, but it's no excuse to take out those frustrations on workers," SDA national secretary Gerard Dwyer said.

"Take extra care around the popular post-Christmas sales. Remember they often run for more than one day."

© AAP 2021