Victoria has recorded another 5052 COVID-19 infections and 17 deaths as the coronavirus continues to infect many thousands of people every day.

In NSW, the number of fresh daily infections came to 6014, with seven additional fatalities.

There are now 41,038 active cases in Victoria and 274 people in hospital, down from 291 the previous day. Of these, 38 are in intensive care and five on ventilation.

The numbers for NSW are similar, with 1146 hospitalised, up from the 1130 reported on Saturday. Of these, 58 are in intensive care and 21 on ventilation.

The slow decline of hospitalisations sits in contrast with NSW Health’s best-case scenario of the surge, which predicted admissions would be well under 500 cases by now.

Nevertheless, the burden on hospitals is declining. Current hospitalisation figures for NSW are less than half the admissions around the same time last month, when the Omicron wave saw a peak of 2943 people in care.

As in Victoria, mask mandates were significantly eased across NSW on Saturday, with residents only required to use them in certain settings, including on public transport and in hospitals.

NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty said masks are still recommended in places where maintaining physical distance is challenging.

More than 95 per cent of people aged 16 and over in NSW have received a first vaccine dose and 94.3 per cent are double-vaccinated. Almost 54 per cent have also had a booster shot.