Coronavirus: The suburbs where residents are urged to take 'essential' action

Residents in several Sydney suburbs have been urged to present themselves for coronavirus testing as the state works to clamp down on community transmission of the deadly disease.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said too few people in a number of local government areas were being tested and encouraged more to come forward so cases could be identified and traced.

People living in Blacktown, Canada Bay, Cumberland, the Inner West, Liverpool, Parramatta and Penrith council areas were asked to get tested for COVID-19.

“We are concerned and want to confirm that there is not chains of transmission occurring in those communities that are undetected,” Dr Chant told reporters on Monday.

“So anyone with respiratory symptoms across the state can come forward, but those areas in particular we want to focus on.”

Her message was reiterated on Tuesday, with her stressing that more people in Penrith, Blacktown and Canada Bay needed to come forward for testing before coronavirus restrictions can be eased.

“Can I again urge the community to come forward for testing. It's essential that everyone in the community has the lowest threshold for testing,” she said.

“Symptoms such as fatigue, chills, muscle aches, the mildest runny nose, any cough, loss of smell or taste, that broad range of symptoms, please come forward to testing.

“It is essential to have high rates of testing... before we ease restrictions we need to ascertain and detect any cases of COVID-19 in the community.”

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Dr Chant also announced there were currently 3,535 cases in NSW, including 102 cases being treated by NSW Health.

The latest death was that of a male Newmarch House resident on Monday, bringing the number of deaths linked to the facility to 15 the statewide death toll to 45.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has previously said that the state is now aiming for 8,000 tests daily.

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