Covid NSW: 345 new cases as new areas face tougher restrictions
Three new Sydney LGAs handed tighter restrictions
Man with two Pfizer jabs dies of Covid
Outbreak spreads to Canberra, capital to be locked down
Restrictions imposed to curb NSW's Delta outbreak are being tightened once again as the virus continues to spread from current hotspots.
NSW announced 345 new locally acquired Covid-19 cases on Thursday as Premier Gladys Berejiklian advised Bayside, Strathfield and Burwood LGAs have been added as areas of concern in Sydney, bringing that growing list to 12.
Residents in those LGAs cannot go further than 5km from their homes and only one person is allowed to leave the home for essential shopping or services per day. Only essential workers can leave the LGA for work.
She said Bexley, Banksia and Rockdale are suburbs of concern inside the Bayside LGA.
Ms Berejiklian said the Inner West and Camden need to be on high alert as cases also rise in those areas.
"We are seeing the front of the virus move forward into these additional communities and we're just asking everybody to make sure that they respect the health orders," she told reporters.
The premier again reiterated the health advice was not to subject the entire city of Sydney to the same stringent restrictions.
The virus has also spread to Canberra, with the capital city understood to be the latest area to be plunged into lockdown.
Northwest NSW, Dubbo, Armidale, Tamworth, Byron Bay and the Hunter region are also currently under snap lockdowns.
Despite the vast majority of the state's population being in lockdown, Health Minister Brad Hazzard pushed back against suggestion the entire state should be locked down.
"There is a defining difference between New South Wales and the other states and that as we have always tried to keep as much of New South Wales open as is possible," he said.
Man dies from Covid with two Pfizer jabs
The state recorded its first death of the outbreak where the victim had been fully vaccinated. The man in his 90s who died at Royal North Shore Hospital had both Pfizer jabs.
Another man in his 90s died after picking up the infection in Liverpool Hospital.
He is the seventh death linked to a cluster at the hospital, which stands at 37 cases.
Of the latest cases, 57 were infectious in the community, 34 were in the community for part of their infectious period, while the status of a further 138 remain under investigation.
There were a record 151,830 tests received in the previous 24-hour reporting period.
There are 62 COVID-19 patients in NSW in intensive care, with 29 ventilated.
There have been 6,491 locally acquired cases since June 16 when the first case of the outbreak was reported in Sydney's eastern suburbs.
Police seeking to tighten lockdown compliance
Ms Berejiklian confirmed NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller had enquired about additional measures to support compliance efforts.
"We are in a difficult situation and we want to turn the tide and not leave any stone unturned," she said.
"So if the Commissioner comes back tomorrow and in the following days and says he needs X, Y and Z, of course we will consider those."
Commissioner Fuller has also requested further assistance from the Australian Defence Force.
A NSW crisis cabinet meeting on Wednesday night reportedly adopted tough new measures to close loopholes that saw people travelling out of Sydney, allowing the virus to enter the regions.
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