Across NSW, more than 95 per cent of people aged 16 and over have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 94.5 per cent have received two doses to Wednesday 16 March 2022.

• Of children aged 12 to 15, 83.5 per cent have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 79.1 per cent have received two doses.
• Of children aged 5 to 11, 48.6 per cent have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
• Of people aged 16 plus, 57.8 per cent have now received a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. This represents 61.7 per cent of the eligible population that received their second dose more than three months ago.

The total number of vaccines administered in NSW is now 17,217,065 with 4,966,640 doses administered by NSW Health to 8pm last night and 12,250,425 administered by the GP network, pharmacies and other providers to 11.59pm on Wednesday 16 March 2022.

NSW Health encourages everyone who is eligible to receive a vaccination or their booster dose to book into a NSW Health vaccination clinic or another provider without delay through the COVID-19 vaccine clinic finder.

Sadly, NSW Health is today reporting the deaths of six people with COVID-19, five men and one woman.

One person was aged in their 70s, one person was in their 80s, and four people were in their 90s.

Of the six people, two had received three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, three had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine and one had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Older age is a significant risk factor for serious illness and death for COVID-19, particularly when combined with significant underlying health conditions.

Two people were from the Northern Beaches, one person was from Western Sydney, one person was from Sydney's Inner West, one person was from Northern Sydney, and one person was from the Snowy Valleys region.

NSW Health expresses its sincere condolences to their loved ones.

This brings the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 2,007.

There are currently 1,060 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, including 32 people in intensive care, 15 of whom require ventilation.

There were 20,050 positive test results notified in the 24 hours to 4pm yesterday – including 12,355 positive rapid antigen tests (RATs) and 7,695 positive PCR tests. The 7,695 positive PCR results were returned from a total of 38,006 PCR tests.

There has now been a total of 535,355 positive RATs recorded since reporting began on 13 January 2022.

Following further investigation, 56 COVID-19 cases detected by PCR tests have been excluded and 796 cases previously reported as RAT-positive have been confirmed as PCR-positive cases, bringing the total number of cases detected by PCR tests in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,016,054.

Cases confirmed by PCR test and registered as RAT positive in the 24 hours to 4pm 17 March 2022, by Local Health District:

COVID-19 vaccination update

*to 11:59pm 16 March 2022

*notified from 8pm 16 March to 8pm 17 March 2022.