Here's what you need to know this morning.
Government warned about Omicron risks before restrictions were lifted
NSW health officials warned that COVID-19 vaccines were likely to be less effective against the Omicron variant and the strain was likely to result in increased hospitalisations just days before the state government lifted restrictions.
On December 10, the NSW Health Clinical Intelligence Unit released a briefing note warning about the additional risks posed by Omicron, which was first reported in South Africa in November.
The note warned that "protection [from vaccines] may be less effective" against Omicron and that early reports from South Africa showed "increasing rates of hospitalisation".
Five days after the briefing note was sent, the NSW government scrapped the mandatory wearing of face masks in public places as well as QR check-ins, density limits and proof of vaccination checks.
Opposition Leader Chris Minns said the decision had "real-world consequences" for the health system and frontline workers.
"Our hospitals and health workers came under significant pressure, our testing facilities were overwhelmed and businesses and workers have suffered from a shadow lockdown," he said.
The Premier's office has been contacted for comment.
COVID fears for students on Sydney buses
The NSW Transport Workers Union says it is fearful bus drivers who are close contacts of a COVID-19 case can return to work.
Changes were made last week allowing bus drivers who were not symptomatic to drive buses.
State secretary Richard Olsen said with all schools resuming this week, it was a risk for both bus drivers and children.
"There's going to be hundreds, if not thousands, of school kids on our buses all through New South Wales," he said.
"And they are now at risk because they won't know, their parents [won't] know, exactly what the status is with the bus driver."
The state government last week announced nearly 3,500 dedicated bus services for returning school students and a COVID-safe transport plan.
Minister to announce after school care vouchers
Families using before and after-school care are set to benefit from a $500 dollar voucher to help with the cost for each child.
NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell is set to make the announcement later today.
She said the voucher would be available to all families, including essential workers who had been doing it tough through the pandemic.
"They'll be able to redeem it through Service NSW, very similar to the Active Kids and Creative Kids vouchers, and it's all about helping those families with those costs associated with before and after-school care."
Calls for school-based vaccinations
As New South Wales school classes resume this week, a leading epidemiologist in child health is calling for primary schools to be used as vaccination sites.
More than 83 per cent of children aged 12 to 15 have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, with less than 38 per cent of children aged five to 11 receiving a first dose.
Alexandra Martiniuk, from the University of Sydney, said there was a slow start to the vaccine rollout for younger children, and having school-based vaccinations would help drive the numbers up.
"It also normalises the vaccinations, kids see their other friends getting it, so it can be a really efficient approach," she said.
That's where the kids are, so it's easy to find them.
"It would be great to see that in particular for second doses, which you know will come around in a few weeks. To see that as an option for families would be very helpful."
Redfern deaths under investigation
Police are investigating the deaths of two men whose bodies were found inside an inner-city boarding house at the weekend.
The bodies of the men, who police said knew each other, were discovered in a unit on Cleveland Street in Redfern late on Saturday night.
They are yet to be formally identified but it is believed the men were aged 32 and 52.
Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith yesterday said one of the men had been calling triple-0 on a mobile phone when he died.
"It's early days," he said. "Crime scene [officers] will spend the rest of the day with investigators to work out what happened in the flat."
