NSW will face further waves of increased COVID-19 case numbers when schools return and post the Australia Day public holiday, Premier Dominic Perrottet has warned.
Mr Perrottet's comments come as 30 COVID-19 deaths were reported in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday in NSW, down from 46 the previous day.
While hospitalisations rose slightly in the latest 24-hour reporting period, from 2,743 to 2,762, ICU admissions were down slightly, from 209 to 204.
Despite low vaccination rates of one dose in just over 24 per cent of children aged 5-11, Mr Perrottet insisted that schools would go back from the beginning of the school term.
"Getting schools back on track on day one is incredibly important for kids and for parents because we know that if schools don't go back, 5 per cent of the workforce is also taken out," he said.
However, he warned the community to be prepared for further increases in case numbers as a result of greater mobility.
"This is a return to normal and there will be potentially further waves when schools go back and mobility increases as people come back from holidays and as life resumes again as it usually does post-Australia Day," he said.
"It is likely cases will increase but we are ready, we are prepared."
Mr Perrottet has previously said that rapid antigen tests [RATs] would be a cornerstone of the state government's blueprint to get children back in classrooms.
The final return-to-school plan was expected to be announced after national cabinet on Thursday.
NSW Opposition Leader Chris Minns has called on the government to be transparent about the plan before public schools return this Friday.
"This is a huge logistical exercise in NSW, you've got over a million kids returning to school on the 28th of January, over 100,000 teachers back into the classroom — we need to know what our obligations are [for] teachers, parents, and students," he said.
A total of 20,148 new cases were reported over the past 24 hours, (8,566 RAT, 11,582 PCR), several thousand cases fewer than Friday's figure of 25,168.
NSW Health deputy secretary Susan Pearce said it was possible to achieve a 50 per cent vaccination rate amongst school children aged 5 to 11 before public and private schools returned in the next couple of weeks.
She said there were appointments available for children at clinics across the state, including on Australia Day.
"It's climbing quite quickly now; the 5 to 11-year-olds, I would love to see at least 50 per cent, but I think we can do better than that," she said.
"There are still a number of days before school goes back. It's going up by a few percentage points each day, so I think 50 per cent is definitely achievable. But let's go for 70 per cent, at least."
Ms Pearce said there would be some vaccination delivery in schools as well as mobile delivery in remote areas, but that was limited by the sensitivity required in handling the COVID vaccine.
On Wednesday, the rules were changed to allow NSW residents to access a COVID-19 vaccine booster jab three months after their second dose.
Mr Perrottet urged the community to book in for a third jab, with clear evidence that vaccines keep the population safe from the virus.
"Particularly if you look at the ICU presentations here in our state, whilst tracking below that best-case scenario position, what we're seeing is that close to 50 per cent of people in ICU are unvaccinated," he said.
"With 95 per cent vaccinated, [and] almost 50 per cent in ICU unvaccinated, the facts and the evidence speaks for itself."
The latest vaccination figures show 95.3 per cent of those aged 16 and over have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, while 93.9 per cent have had two jabs.
Just over 24 per cent of children aged 5-11 have had one dose of a vaccine.
In the 12 to 15 age group, 82.6 per cent have received one dose, while 78.4 per cent are double vaccinated.
Almost 32 per cent of those aged 16 and over have received a booster or third vaccine.
Of those who died, four people had received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, 16 people had received two doses, one person had received one dose and nine people were not vaccinated.
It brings the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,054.
