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COVID-19 cases on the rise in NSW

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NSW has recorded 372 new locally-acquired cases of COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour reporting period.
Camera IconNSW has recorded 372 new locally-acquired cases of COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour reporting period. Credit: AAP

NSW will spend its way out of the COVID torpor as fully vaccinated people embrace new freedoms that are likely to see daily cases spike in the coming weeks.

Treasurer Matt Kean on Thursday unveiled a $2.8 billion plan to help the state's economy recover from "a once-in-a-lifetime economic catastrophe".

Premier Dominic Perrottet says it's "the most extensive economic recovery plan in the country" promising "there is something in this economic recovery package for everyone".

The stimulus package was revealed as the state recorded 372 new local COVID cases and one death in the 24-hours to 8pm on Wednesday.

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It was a jump of 89 cases from the previous day, after three days of numbers below 300.

Health authorities are expecting cases to increase from next week - two weeks after initial freedoms came in and a week after the second stage of the roadmap out of lockdown allowed significantly more social interactions.

Authorities are hoping the high vaccination rates will suppress the rapid spread of the virus - or at least keep a lid on hospitalisations.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant warned earlier this week the expected rise in cases was yet to come and said her sights were set on getting at least 95 per cent of the state vaccinated.

"There's a lot of uncertainties about what case numbers will do," Dr Chant said.

"Next week I will be really interested in what our numbers are."

NSW Health said a man in his 50s from southeast Sydney died at Sutherland Hospital on Wednesday. He had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

In the regions, the Hunter New England district continues to cause concern with 74 new cases.

There were also 51 from the Murrumbidgee Local Health District, which is close to Victoria, where the virus is raging with 2232 cases recorded in the past day.

There have been 487 COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since the outbreak began on June 16 and 543 in total since the start of the pandemic.

There are 523 COVID patients in hospital, 124 of them are in intensive care and 64 are ventilated.

About 92.5 per cent of people aged 16 and over have had one vaccine dose and 82.3 per cent of adults are fully vaccinated.

Just over 76 per cent of 12-15 year olds have had their first dose and 40.9 per cent of them are fully vaccinated.

NSW Health's ongoing sewage surveillance program has detected fragments of the COVID virus in sewage samples collected from across the state, including Lightning Ridge, Armidale, Uralla, Inverell and Nyngan, where there are no known cases.

Everyone in these areas is urged to monitor for the onset of symptoms, and if they appear, to immediately be tested and isolate until a negative result is received.

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