Premier Dominic Perrottet, who for weeks had resisted calls to act to slow the spread of the Omicron variant, fronted a press conference yesterday afternoon to announce the changes.

From today, singing and dancing in hospitality venues, including pubs, clubs, nightclubs, bars, restaurants, entertainment facilities and major recreation facilities will be prohibited. The ban, however, will not apply to weddings or performers.

The government is also recommending patrons at hospitality venues remain seated while drinking and avoid "mingling".

Residents are being advised to limit large household gatherings and gather outdoors where possible.

Under the changes workers subject to vaccine mandates, such as teachers, nurses and frontline health workers, will need to be double jabbed and have a booster shot in order to be considered fully vaccinated.

Public health orders will be updated next week to include a requirement that people report their positive rapid antigen test results as the state transitions to a self-reporting approach to COVID-testing.

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Mr Perrottet said steps are being taken to address the shortage of RATs across the state to cater to the change.

The changes, which come after NSW recorded 38,625 new cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday, have been criticised by local Labor figures.

Wagga councillor-elect Dan Hayes said the state government had been caught "behind where we need to be almost every time", while Wagga Labor Party branch president Mark Jeffreson said: "It seems the premier has taken a leaf out of the Prime Minister's playbook by announcing little, then doing less."

Kooringal Hotel's Hannah Brien said yet more changes to the hospitality industry's rules were disappointing.

"We hold a lot of functions at our hotel and to have to tell patrons to constantly sit down while they're in a large group with their close friends and family is very tiresome," she said.

"To see people go from being happy and having a dance to being embarrassed when we tell them to please stop is heartbreaking.

"But, we will abide by the rules to stop the spread."

While the daily COVID numbers in Wagga and across the wider Riverina, like the rest of the state, have been the highest seen since the start of the pandemic, Mr Hayes said it is no fault of the community.

"People of Wagga have been doing the right thing when they are supported doing it, such as getting vaccinated," he said.

"Part of living with COVID is knowing whether you have COVID or not and then acting accordingly.

"Without being able to access testing, this makes it very hard."

Mr Jeffreson is indifferent to the move towards using rapid antigen tests in place of PCR testing.

"Ever since December 16, 2021, our position has deteriorated dreadfully and now we seem to be going 'all-in' on the rapid antigen tests which aren't available and don't record any statistics anyway," Mr Jeffreson said.

"The RATs should be available to anyone who needs them.

"If the Prime Minister gets them for free there is no reason anyone else should have to pay."

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