SYDNEY (Reuters – New Australian COVID-19 patients fell as testing slowed for a holiday weekend but remained over 30,000. New South Wales hospitalisations increased as worries grow about possible strains to the country’s health system.

New South Wales was the state with the highest number of cases. Its population dropped from 22 577 to 18,278 the previous day. This is due to a drop in the number and quality of New Year’s Day tests.

However, hospitalisations, which the authorities indicate is an indicator they are more closely watching than total cases numbers, as they move towards living with this virus, rose by 18%, to 1,066.

Daily case numbers in Victoria remained at over 7,000, while Queensland saw a record 3,587 cases.

Cameron Dick, Queensland’s state treasurer said that as we begin a new year we will be fighting COVID-19.

Dick stated that if we can stop the spread of the virus it will reduce the strain on our health system. He asked people to be vaccinated, get booster shots and wear masks indoors. If possible, Dick suggested working from home.

The only two countries reporting new cases on Sunday were Western Australia (and the Northern Territory), which was below the record set by Saturday, 35,327.

All Australian states except Western Australia have started to deal with the virus. This is because vaccinations have increased and restrictions have been relaxed.

Five deaths were reported in Victoria and New South Wales, which brings the total national death count for the entire pandemic up to nearly 2,260.