In the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, 45,000 tests were recorded statewide.
It comes as NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard warned suppression of the virus might be impossible, while the Premier assured Sydney it was absolutely the governments intention for the lockdown to lift on July 16.
When asked if the highly infectious Delta strain of the virus had escaped control, Mr Hazzard said, If individuals that we need dont hear [public health messages] and dont respond, then at some point were going to move to a stage where were going to have to accept that the virus has a life which will continue in the community.
It is critical … for the community in south-west Sydney to understand that your individual actions may well determine the future of this virus in our community.
There were 27 new coronavirus cases reported on Wednesday, nine of which had no known link to other cases or clusters. Only 13 of the new cases were in isolation for their entire infectious period.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the next nine or 10 days will determine how we live until the end of the year, stressing she wanted this to be the last lockdown in Sydney before the majority of the citys population was vaccinated.
She warned case numbers to be announced on Thursday were likely to be higher, with concerning statistics on what is happening in the three LGAs of concern as transmission occurred among families and households in Sydneys south-west.
The NSW government doesnt want to go to the next stage but we are considering if there are any further actions we need to take in those three local government areas, she said.
Can I say to the communities in those areas, many have a similar background to me, please dont mingle with family, she said, adding that, while people might think they are doing the right thing by babysitting family members or visiting loved ones, the key message is, Do not leave the house.
Dr Chant called for increased testing in the citys south-west and for people living in the area to consider shopping for groceries online and limiting their movements, noting cases had already infected their household contacts who had been in the community when they tested positive.
But Dr Chant doubted an earlier lockdown for Greater Sydney would have resulted in a substantial difference in the number of cases the city is dealing with today.
My honest impression is probably not, she said.
University of Sydney epidemiologist Dr Fiona Stanaway said it was a bad sign that the virus had moved across the city, noting Sydneysiders would become fatigued the longer restrictions continued.
Rather than the outbreak tapering off, it has continued and spread to new suburbs, she said. There has likely been contact among households, people are a bit tired and wanting to catch up with others, and different households congregating.
There are 37 COVID-19 patients in Sydneys hospitals, including seven in ICU and two ventilated. Fourteen of the people in hospital are under 55 and eight are under 35.
One of the ICU patients is in their 30s.
COVID, including the Delta strain, is not a mild disease, Dr Chant said, adding she hoped the statistics regarding hospitalisation in the young would be a wake-up call.
ANU infectious diseases physician Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake said vaccination had certainly had an impact on concentrating the spread of COVID-19 in Sydney in people aged under 40, noting that, although now four staff at north-west Sydneys SummitCare Baulkham Hills home had tested positive to COVID-19, the illness reported in vaccinated residents had been mild and their hospitalisation precautionary.
But the reality is even young people can still get very sick from the acute illness, and then there is long COVID to contend with.
On Wednesday afternoon, NSW Health confirmed additional virus transmission had been uncovered from June 25 and 26 at Bossley Parks Marconi Club. On Tuesday night, the ministry confirmed transmission had also occurred at a Commonwealth Bank branch at Roselands on June 28, 29 and 30.
New venues of concern were announced in the citys inner west and western suburbs, including at Marrickvilles Hop and Grain Brew Store on Saturday from 10.10am to 10.40am, Ashfield Bunnings on Monday from 3.50pm to 4.05pm, Supercheap Auto on Sunday from 2.50pm to 3.05pm, Strathfield South Dan Murphys on Saturday from 5.45pm to 6pm and the Commonwealth Bank at Riverwood all day on Thursday, Friday and Monday.
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