Australia recorded 39 new COVID-19-related deaths on Tuesday as the Australian Medical Association (AMA) urged people to keep wearing masks in healthcare settings.
NSW recorded 8,874 new COVID-19 cases and nine more deaths.
The figures represented an overnight spike, with 3,018 more cases in the past 24 hours.
There are 1,098 patients in hospital, 49 of them in intensive care.
NSW Health reports 54.1 per cent of people have had three vaccine doses, while 79 per cent of people aged 12-15 are double-jabbed and 47.5 per cent of children aged five-11 have had one dose.
Meanwhile, the AMA is reminding people to take precautions a day after mask mandates were removed in most indoor settings.
AMA (NSW) president Danielle McMullen said masks remain mandatory in hospitals and aged and disability care facilities and will remain a condition of entry in many medical practices.
"Healthcare professionals have a duty of care to their staff and their patients and, as such, wearing a mask is strongly encouraged in all healthcare settings, including at your GP clinic," she said on Tuesday.
"We expect COVID will continue to circulate in the community, and with increased travel and movement, we anticipate a return of influenza this winter."
Victoria reports 6,879 COVID-19 cases, 18 deaths
Victoria has reported 6,879 new COVID-19 infections and 18 deaths, with more than 40,000 active cases across the state.
The new cases include 5,380 from rapid antigen tests (RATs) and 1,499 from PCR lab tests, the health department said on Tuesday.
The number of people in hospital has risen by 28 from Monday, with 255 infected people admitted.
Of those patients, 41 are in intensive care and five on ventilation.
Some 59 per cent of Victorian adults have received three vaccine doses.
There are 40,822 active cases in the state.
The latest figures come on the final day Victorians can get paid for taking a PCR test and isolating while awaiting the result.
The Victorian government is scrapping its $450 COVID-19 isolation payment, which it says has been rendered unnecessary by increasing RAT supplies.
More than 1.2 million payments worth about $545 million have been approved since the isolation payment system began in July 2020.
Final claims must be submitted before 9am on Wednesday and involve a PCR test taken on Tuesday or earlier.
Increase in ICU admissions in Queensland
Another 10 people have died with COVID-19 in Queensland with 4,453 new cases also recorded just days before the state's mask mandates are scrapped.
Queensland Health said there are 316 people in hospital — up slightly from Monday's 311 — with 26 in intensive care, an increase of one in the past 24 hours.
The death toll stands at 540, with 30,217 active cases in the state.
The latest figures show 92.80 per cent of eligible Queenslanders have had one vaccine dose, while 90.86 per cent have had two.
It comes as the state prepares to lift mask mandates in most indoor settings and density limits at most venues from 6pm on Friday.
What is happening elsewhere?
South Australia has broken a five-day streak of falling COVID-19 case numbers with 1,618 new infections.
SA Health also revealed two more deaths — a man in his 80s and a man in his 90s.
Tuesday's cases were a significant jump on the 1,358 reported on Monday.
However, hospitalisations remained relatively stable at 111, up by two.
There are nine people in intensive care, including two on ventilation.
Active cases across the state stand at 15,870.
The Northern Territory has reported 565 new COVID-19 cases along with a fall in the number of people in hospital with the virus.
SecureNT says there are 86 people in hospital including four in intensive care, down from 96 on Monday.
The ACT has recorded a slight uptick in the number of new COVID-19 cases, with 692 new infections reported.
After several days of daily infections below 500, case numbers have peaked again, days after a cluster of cases broke out at residential halls at the Australian National University.
Western Australia has recorded 1,179 new COVID-19 cases, taking the number of active infections to almost 6,000. Sixteen cases are in hospital but none are in intensive care.
While, Tasmania has recorded 957 COVID-19 cases, a jump of more than 200 and the highest daily figure in more than five weeks.
