More than 60 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded across the Western NSW Local Health District, setting a new daily record.
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The region detected 65 cases in the 24-hour period to 8pm on Wednesday.
The explosion in case numbers - the region reported 39 the day before - is thanks largely to a bumper increase in Dubbo, with 28 new cases reported in that Local Government Area. Two days ago that figure was just two.
Twenty-eight is the single highest daily figure in Dubbo in over three months. There was 35 new cases reported on September 6.
While the previous record for the health district was 54 on August 31.
In the latest reporting period, Orange recorded 14 new cases - one of those has a Cabonne address - while there was another three in Cabonne and two picked up in Blayney. Bathurst had three new cases.
There was also new cases detected in the Mid-western LGA (eight), Coonabarabran (three) and Cobar, Forbes, Walgett and Wellington all recorded one each.
There's one patient in hospital in the district.
With the festive season here and case numbers expected to continue to rise, the health district is urging the region to come up with a Plan C, which is essentially brushing up on what you need to do should you or someone you know contract the virus or become a close contact.
Member for Calare Andrew Gee was expected at Thursday morning's opening of the latest section of the Southern Feeder Road, but has been declared a close contact and is in isolation waiting a negative test result.
Testing clinics continue to remain open on Thursday at the showground and Wade Park, although lines have been lengthy this week.
Across NSW, more than 5700 new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in NSW, blowing away the daily record set just 24 hours earlier.
The state detected 5715 cases in the day to 8pm on Wednesday, adding one death.
Across the state 347 people with the virus are in hospital, with 45 in intensive care.
The number was found off the back of 160,471 tests.
Vaccination rates continue to climb, with 94.9 per cent of adults over 16 having received a first dose and 93.5 per cent a second.
For those aged 12 to 15, those numbers are 81.5 per cent and 87.2 per cent.
A more detailed update is due at 11am.
The state government is weighing up mailing out free rapid antigen tests and appears likely to reintroduce QR codes, but mandating masks appears off the table despite health advice.
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