The NSW government has slammed the brakes on easing more restrictions, as the state records another 11 locally transmitted cases of the coronavirus.
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Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced 13 new cases, two of which were diagnosed in hotel quarantine, telling reporters, "This is the most concerned we've been since that first incident when the Victorian citizen came up, infected his colleagues and went for a drink at a hotel."
"Our state is on the verge of being where it was when we had the first seeding incident from Victoria," she said.
Nine of the new cases are linked to the emerging cluster at a Lakemba GP clinic, which now numbers 12 cases in total. All are household contacts of known cases.
Hundreds of patients who visited the practice are now being tracked down by contact tracers.
Health authorities are still investigating the source of the cluster, but believe it links back to another southwestern Sydney GP.
The other two new locally transmitted cases are linked to the private clinic cluster, which has now reached 10. One attended the clinic, while the other was a staff member.
A probable case diagnosed in hotel quarantine earlier this week was also confirmed and added to the state's tally.
"It's reassuring overnight that the cases were linked to known clusters," chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant told reporters.
"(But) due to the large nature of the contacts that we've had to do, the multiple venues, all of that means that there is potentially infectious people in many settings."
Another case - a man in his 70s - diagnosed on Tuesday after the 8pm cut off in Bargo, northeast of Bowral, is also stressing authorities.
On Tuesday, the NSW government announced hospitality restrictions would be eased from Friday with up to 500 people allowed to attend open-air concerts as long as they stay seated and four metres apart.
Restrictions for outdoor dining venues will also be relaxed, allowing one patron per two square metres as long as venues use an electronic QR code to record patrons' contact details.
The premier said the government had planned to announce the easing of more restrictions on hospitality on Wednesday, but is holding off until Dr Chant gives the green light over existing concerns.
Increasing the limit on venue bookings and the number of people who can attend weddings was on the table, the premier said, and may still be agreed to later this week.
Meanwhile, public health alerts have been issued for seven shops and restaurants in Sydney's southwest as authorities work to suppress the hotspot's virus spread.
A pop-up testing clinic has been set up at Julia Reserve Community Centre in Oran Park and authorities are urging people to get tested.
While 16,000 tests were conducted in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, almost double the number on Monday, Health Minister Brad Hazzard says it isn't enough.
"The numbers that we got overnight are just reminiscent to me of Crossroads (outbreak) and it worries me that perhaps the community are not actually coming out in the numbers that we need to be tested," he said.
"Just thinking you might have hay fever is no excuse to not get tested."
Mr Hazzard said health authorities want upwards of 20,000 people to be tested each day.
Australian Associated Press