Sydney hospital blames human error for false virus tests

Sydney's St Vincent's Hospital admitted on Sunday that its pathology service incorrectly told 400 people they had tested negative to COVID-19 when they were actually positive.

SydPath's Medical Director Professor Anthony Dodds said that the false tests had been conducted on December 22 and 23.

He told reporters in Sydney that an "emergency response team" was investigating the mistake and that it was initially believed to be have been caused by "human error."

The error comes as New South Wales reported a record number of new COVID-19 cases on Sunday and a sharp jump in hospitalisations while thousands of people were isolating at home after contracting the virus or coming into contact with someone who has.

6,394 new infections were recorded in Australia's most populous state, up from 6,288 a day earlier.

Case numbers in the state have surged over the past two weeks but hospitalisations have lagged behind new infections.