NSW has recorded in two days in a row more than 20,000 cases as the highly contagious new Omicron sub-variant affects the community. It has reported 20,050 positive tests in the past 24 hours, including 12,355 self-reported RAT tests.
The 20,087 new cases announced by Health NSW on Thursday is lower than the 30,402 the previous day. However, it was explained that the figure was artificially inflated by a data glitch that included about 10,000 unreported rapid antigen tests (RATs) from Sunday and Monday.
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Health Minister Brad Hazzard is warning that cases are expected to double next month as the new highly transmissible Omicron sub-variant BA.2 takes off.
Mr Hazzard says the same researchers who correctly predicted the Omicron summer surge are forecasting another wave of cases caused by the BA.2, that will peak next month.
Acting Chief Health Officer Marianne Gale says BA.2 will be "by far the dominant strain in NSW" within weeks.
In the meantime, with six deaths recorded in the 24 hours to 4pm on Wednesday, the state has also exceeded the 2,000 total count of deaths since the start of the pandemic.