NSW records 25 COVID-free days in a row
The latest figures come as Australia welcomes its first group of international students since the pandemic began.
NSW has recorded 25 consecutive days with no new cases of locally acquired COVID-19.
NSW Health says there were six cases reported in overseas travellers in the 24-hours to 8pm on Tuesday.
There were 13,237 tests reported in the reporting period compared with 6635 in the previous 24 hours.
Tweet from @NSWHealth
NSW Health is warning there still may be transmission among people who have unrecognised infections with mild or no symptoms.
“Though restrictions have been eased in NSW, we must continue to be vigilant. NSW Health continues to ask everyone to continue to come forward immediately for testing if they have even the mildest symptoms,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, retailers are calling for a further easing of COVID-19 restrictions to encourage people to get into the spirit of Christmas shopping.
Business NSW says retailers need to be given a chance to capitalise on Christmas spending with a relaxation of restrictions on their premises.
Retailers must now adhere to the one person per four square metre rule, unless they are a supermarket or shop that mostly sells food.
“With Christmas shopping in full swing and no community transmissions in NSW for some time, we need to give retailers a break in the lead up to Christmas,” Business NSW chief executive Nola Watson said.
While cafes can have one person per two square metres, clothing retailers and bookshops are more limited, Ms Watson says.
“It goes without saying what a difficult year it has been for the retail sector, and here is an opportunity to provide them with some relief, so long as they operate in a COVID-safe way.
-AAP