Police have arrested three men after 42,000 rapid antigen tests were allegedly stolen from a Sydney warehouse, in what Premier Dominic Perrottet labelled a "disgraceful act".
NSW Police said the men were arrested during a raid on a Rosebery storage facility about 4pm on Wednesday afternoon, about 24 hours since the tests were taken from a Mascot depot.
"The men have been taken to Mascot Police Station, where they are assisting with inquiries," police said.
"Investigations into the theft are ongoing."
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Perrottet condemned the alleged robbery and promised the police would catch those responsible.
He also revealed NSW residents will be able to access a COVID-19 vaccine booster jab three months after their second dose.
The booster jab announcement came after the state recorded another 32 COVID-19 deaths.
The number of people with the virus in the state's hospitals increased to 2,863, while ICU admissions were up slightly to 217.
A total of 32,297 new cases were reported from 12,450 RATs and 19,847 PCR swabs.
Mr Perrottet said residents could now make an appointment for the third vaccine shot at any of the 40 vaccine hubs across the state.
The four-month wait to get a booster shot at a GPs or a pharmacy will continue until January 31, in line with federal guidelines.
"In our vaccination hubs we'll be bringing forward the eligibility for booster shots ... [this] will enable over 3.5 million people to be eligible for the booster shot," Mr Perrottet said.
Federal government data shows 1,773,457 people in NSW have received a booster vaccine, about half of those who are eligible.
The latest figures show 27.8 per cent of people have had three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 16.4 per cent of those aged 5-11 have had one dose.
The Premier said with 95 per cent of the population double vaccinated, it was clearly a "key factor" in keeping the pressure down on the NSW health system .
He encouraged anyone eligible for the booster jab to make a booking as soon as possible.
"I appreciate there is fatigue with this pandemic, this global pandemic has taken the world on but NSW continues to stand tall," he said.
"The reason we've stood tall in our state has been the high vaccination rate."
NSW Health deputy secretary Susan Pearce said there were bookings available on Thursday at the state-run vaccine clinics.
"We're very pleased to be able to bring that [booster eligibility] forward," she said.
"It's awful for us to see the bookings go begging. It's very key to ensuring you stay safe in this pandemic."
The state has suffered a shortage of RATs with the Premier saying 15 million were expected to arrive into NSW over the next week.
Intensive care nurses at one of Sydney's major hospitals have rallied over staff shortages caused by the COVID Omicron outbreak.
About 40 staff from Westmead Hospital in Sydney's west have demonstrated, arguing patient and staff safety is being severely compromised due to the lack of staff.
This is the first time nurses from a hospital in Greater Sydney have protested since the Omicron wave began.
"It's so hard right now. I've had so many nurses I work with just come on shift and start crying immediately, just saying they're so anxious," one nurse said.
The NSW Nurses and Midwives Association has urged the NSW government "be upfront with the community and concede the health system is not coping".
It's called on Mr Perrottet to visit the hospital's intensive care unit to "meet with the nurses and spend a day in their shoes".
Health Minister Brad Hazzard thanked nursing staff for their work "under enormous pressure", but said the government had employed nearly another 10,000 nurses since it was elected.
Another 5,000 nurses would be employed during the next four years to relieve the pressure on frontline nursing staff, he said.
"Our intensive care staff have been at the frontline doing an incredible job," he said.
"I have been listening to their concerns and we are considering some of the operational challenges they have in intensive care units and they have been compounded by the pandemic."
Of the 32 deaths, 12 were women and 20 were men.
Three people were in their 40s, three in their 60s, eight in their 70s, 11 in their 80s and seven in their 90s.
Twenty-three of those who died had had two doses of a vaccine, one had one dose, eight were unvaccinated, and five had had a booster.
