NSW scales back Covid contact tracing as health system faces Omicron strain

Authorities to focus on high-risk groups as Dominic Perrottet admits health staff are at point of exhaustion

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The New South Wales government's Covid contact-tracing system has been all but abandoned, with efforts now focused only on those in the highest risk categories.

NSW Health authorities are under increasing strain as the Covid Omicron variant pushes up hospital admissions, while its virulence means contact tracers have all but given up tracking its spread in the wider community.