NSW Police at Circular Quay in Sydney on August 21, 2021. Photo / Getty Images
Victoria has recorded 120 locally acquired Covid-19 cases in the 24 hours to midnight last night.
This is the biggest rise in infections the state has seen in its latest outbreak and brings the total number of active cases in Victoria to 900.
Of the new cases, 64 have been linked to known cases and outbreaks, with investigations ongoing for the other 56 infections.
The deaths of two women, both of which were announced yesterday, have also been included in today's figures.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to reveal the state's lockdown exit plan later today, with health and government officials locked in emergency meetings overnight to discuss the trigger points for easing restrictions.
NSW today recorded 1116 new Covid-19 cases and four Covid-related deaths.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said four women - one in her 50s, one in her 60s, one in her 70s and one in her 80s - died with the virus. They were not vaccinated and had underlying health conditions.
Yesterday, NSW recorded 1164 new locally acquired cases and three Covid-related deaths.
NSW deputy chief health officer Marianne Gale said there are 917 Covid patients in hospital. "There are 150 people in intensive care, 66 of whom require ventilation," she said.
"As we've seen to date, the majority of those people in ICU have not been vaccinated and of those 150, 127 people in ICU are not vaccinated.
Berejiklian said NSW was getting ready to reopen next month and urged people to get vaccinated.
"I want to remind everybody that September is the month when we're asking everybody to get ready," she said.
"Make sure you are vaccinated so we can get back to life at 70 per cent double-dose vaccination, which we anticipate will happen somewhere around the middle of October.
"New South Wales looks forward to having our citizens enjoy international travel and New South Wales looks forward to stepping up and welcoming thousands of Australians home who have been waiting to come home for a long time.
"Our position is the one we stated from the outset. It's impossible to eliminate the Delta strain.
"NSW has proved successful until this point in time of getting rid of other strains of Covid but the Delta strain is a game changer and every state in Australia, sooner or later, is going to have to live with Delta.
"That's why I'm calling on all my colleagues, other state premiers and first ministers, to stick to the national plan to make sure we give our citizens not only the freedoms they deserve but also learning to live with Covid as soon as we can."
The ACT has recorded 23 new cases of Covid-19, bringing Canberra's total outbreak to 297.
Of the 23 new cases, 11 were in isolation for their entire infectious period, while 11 were out in the community.
Fourteen of the new infections are linked to existing cases, while nine remain under investigation.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr confirmed 13 Canberrans were now in hospital with Covid-19, four in intensive care.
"None of the people in hospital with Covid-19 are vaccinated," Barr said.
On Tuesday, Barr announced the territory's lockdown would be extended for another two weeks until September 17.
He confirmed bookings were now open for Canberrans aged 16-29 to get their Pfizer jab.
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