Received

More than 1500 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases have been reported in NSW - another record high - with the number of virus patients hospitalised surpassing 1000 for the first time.

Some 1533 cases were reported on Saturday morning, as well as four deaths, including a man in his 60s who died at his home in western Sydney.

A woman in her 80s, a man in his 50s and a man in his 70s, all from Greater Sydney, died in hospital; none were vaccinated.

The deaths take the toll for the state's current outbreak to 123, with a record 12 deaths reported in NSW on Friday.

The number of people seriously ill and hospitalised with COVID-19 in NSW also continues to climb, Health Minister Brad Hazzard told reporters on Saturday.

Some 1041 people are now being treated in hospital, with 173 people in intensive care, of which about 80 per cent are not vaccinated.

Another 11000 COVID-19 patients are being treated in the community under the Hospital in the Home program.

Mr Hazzard has defended the program after reports the scheme was compromising the quality of care offered, overexerting health staff, and concealing the true toll of the outbreak.

"Let's not forget that about 80 per cent of people who get COVID will have either no or minimal symptoms. There is no reason in that situation, necessarily, to have them in hospital," he said.

Clinical decisions by doctors were made about those who required care in hospital, Mr Hazzard said.

No COVID-19 patients who required oxygen were being cared for at home, a NSW Health spokeswoman said in a statement.

Community care teams were also being supported with their caseload in some local health districts by external organisations, she said.

At least 10 people have died at home in western Sydney or southwest Sydney during the current COVID-19 outbreak, which began in mid-June.

They include the man in his 60s reported on Saturday - who had not been tested for the virus before his death and was not in the care of NSW Health - and a mother of four in her 30s who died on Thursday, a day after being tested for the virus.

With the pressure on the health sector not due to peak until October, Mr Hazzard again moved to reassure the community the system would cope.

"They have good plans and we'll be kept safe," he said.

What is stretching health staff is non-emergency call outs, Mr Hazzard said.

"Yesterday was the second busiest day for ambulances that they have had in the state's history," he said, adding that paramedics have been fielding calls for Band-Aids and antibiotics.

"Really, there has to be an understanding that we are in the middle of a pandemic. There is no room for people to make calls that are not emergencies."

The "good news" was almost 130,000 vaccinations were administered in NSW on Friday, Mr Hazzard said, urging those who remained hesitant to roll up their sleeves.

"What we have seen in Europe and the (United) States is this becomes a pandemic of the unvaccinated, and they will miss the freedoms and opportunities that the rest of us will have."

Meanwhile, NSW government ministers and parliamentary secretaries will boycott sittings of the parliament's upper house, essentially thwarting them, over the chief health officer's concerns any meetings could be a super-spreading event.

"At a time when we're asking everyone in NSW to make sacrifices to keep us all safe, it is unprincipled and dangerous for politicians to reject the health advice to pursue their own political agenda," Leader of the House Damien Tudehope said in a statement.

According to Legislative Council rules, the upper house cannot meet unless a minister is present.

Opposition MPs have argued the sittings are essential to allow scrutiny of the government response to the current outbreak.

© AAP 2021

More than 1500 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases have been reported in NSW - another record high - with the number of people hospitalised surpassing 1000 for the first time.

Some 1533 cases were reported on Saturday morning, as well as four deaths, including a man in his 60s who died at his home in western Sydney.

A woman in her 80s, a man in his 50s and a man in his 70s, all from Greater Sydney, died in hospital; none were vaccinated.

The deaths take the toll for the state's current outbreak to 123, with a record 12 deaths reported in NSW on Friday.

The number of people seriously ill and hospitalised with COVID-19 in NSW also continues to climb, Health Minister Brad Hazzard says.

Some 1041 people are now being treated in hospital, with 173 people in intensive care, of which about 80 per cent are not vaccinated.

Another 11,000 COVID-19 patients are being treated in the community under the Hospital in the Home program.

Mr Hazzard has defended the program after reports the scheme was compromising the quality of care offered, overexerting health staff, and concealing the true toll of the outbreak.

"Let's not forget that about 80 per cent of people who get COVID will have either no or minimal symptoms. There is no reason in that situation, necessarily, to have them in hospital," he told reporters on Saturday.

Clinical decisions by doctors were made about those who required care in hospital, Mr Hazzard said.

No COVID-19 patients who required oxygen were being cared for at home, a NSW Health spokeswoman said in a statement.

Community care teams were also being supported with their caseload in some local health districts by external organisations, she said.

At least 10 people have died at home in western Sydney or southwest Sydney during the current COVID-19 outbreak, which began in mid-June.

They include the man in his 60s reported on Saturday - who had not been tested for the virus before his death and was not in the care of NSW Health - and a mother of four in her 30s who died on Thursday, a day after being tested for the virus.

With the pressure on the health sector not due to peak until October, Mr Hazzard again moved to reassure the community the system would cope.

"They have good plans and we'll be kept safe," he said.

What is stretching health staff is non-emergency call outs, Mr Hazzard says.

"Yesterday was the second busiest day for ambulances that they have had in the state's history," he said, adding that paramedics have been fielding calls for Band-Aids and antibiotics.

The "good news" was almost 130,000 vaccinations were administered in NSW on Friday, Mr Hazzard said, urging those who remained hesitant to roll up their sleeves.

More than 250 Aboriginal people, including children aged 12 to 15, received their first vaccination on Saturday at a dedicated Indigenous clinic in Sydney's west.

"Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 due to the higher burden of other diseases," the health district's Braiden Abala said, noting several such clinics have been held across Sydney.

Meanwhile, NSW government ministers and parliamentary secretaries will boycott sittings of the parliament's upper house, essentially thwarting them, over the chief health officer's concerns any meetings could be a super-spreading event.

"At a time when we're asking everyone in NSW to make sacrifices to keep us all safe, it is unprincipled and dangerous for politicians to reject the health advice to pursue their own political agenda," Leader of the House Damien Tudehope said in a statement.

According to Legislative Council rules, the upper house cannot meet unless a minister is present.

Opposition MPs have argued the sittings are essential to allow scrutiny of the government response to the current outbreak.

© AAP 2021

Australia's vaccination program will get a big shot in the arm after a deal was struck with the UK to provide four million doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

As Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the deal, the nation recorded more than 1650 new local infections across NSW, Victoria and the ACT.

Twelve people in NSW died, along with one in Victoria, taking the national toll to 1032.

The four million doses will arrive in Australia this month and be paid back later.

On current national vaccination rates, the deal will cover a fortnight of doses but Mr Morrison believes it is still a "great cause for hope".

Pfizer is now available for Australians aged 16-39 with bookings for 12-15 year olds open from September 13.

The UK doses will be distributed on an equal population share basis, with 60 per cent delivered through the primary care network and 40 per cent through state-based vaccination clinics.

However, health authorities are keen for as many people as possible to book in for AstraZeneca shots, which are in plentiful supply and rated just as effective.

Another 300,000 people received a jab in the past 24 hours as double-dose coverage for people aged 16 and over hit 37.12 per cent

The ACT leads the way, with 44.55 per cent of its over-16 population fully vaccinated, with WA trailing the pack on 33.26 per cent.

Mr Morrison met with state and territory leaders on Friday to discuss what public health measures can be removed when vaccine coverage targets of 70 and 80 per cent are reached.

However, they agreed further consideration was needed.

Updated Doherty Institute modelling on which the national reopening plan is based is expected to be released early next week.

The leaders also received a report on South Australia's trial of home quarantine for returning travellers and heard from former health department secretary Jane Halton on her updated review of the quarantine system.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese welcomed the vaccine deal, but said it highlighted the government's failure to acquire enough doses initially.

A record infection rise was fuelled by the spiralling NSW outbreak which led to another 1431 people testing positive for the disease in 24 hours.

Victoria broke 200 cases for the first time in a year, with both states pinning lockdown exit plans on a rapid increase in vaccinations.

There were another 18 cases in Canberra and one in Queensland.

© AAP 2021