Hospitalisations in NSW are climbing as the state records another spike in covid cases.
22577 people have tested positive in the latest reporting period - five have died.
901 patients are in hospital - 79 of those in intensive care.
There have been 809 new cases in the Illawarra/Shoalhaven Local Health District for the 24 hours up to eight o'clock last night.
That includes 509 cases from Wollongong Local Government Area,133 from Shellharbour LGA
, 120 from Shoalhaven LGA and 47 cases from Kiama LGA.
There have been 1,811 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Hunter New England region, which includes nine new cases in Muswellbrook.
In the Southern NSW Health District there have been 203 new cases with 28 of these in the Bega Valley and three in the Eurobodalla.
NSW Health last updated the figures for the Wingecarribee LGA on December 30.
There were 30 new cases in the 24 hours up to that date, taking the total number of active cases to 181 in the shire.