While the state and other regional areas try to stem the outbreak of the highly contagious Delta strain of COVID-19, chief executive Jill Ludford said the lockdown was to be expected.

She said the MLHD had seen increasing risk to the north, east and west as Sydney recorded 478 cases, 19 new cases in the ACT and 22 in Victoria and were continuing to test the region's sewerage weekly to monitor for early signs of local transmission.

"It's really important for people to stay at home. It's the best thing we can do now," Ms Ludford said.

"It gives an opportunity to arrest the community transmission of COVID ... it also gives our contact tracers an opportunity to catch up."

As a result of the state-wide rules, the MLHD is asking, where possible, for people to notify hospitals ahead of coming if they have respiratory symptoms.

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"Our emergency departments are very importantly open for everybody to come if they are urgently ill," Ms Ludford said.

"If you do have a respiratory system, we would really like you to please call ahead to your emergency department or hospital just to give us the heads up ... so we can make sure we manage you through an appropriate COVID pathway."

The MLHD has also restricted visitors, but some exemptions include a support person for women giving birth and parents and guardians for children.

"We know there are a number of patients in residential aged care facilities or people with disabilities where carers are supporting and participating in care for patients," Ms Ludford said.

"The local facility manager will work to risk assess those particular people and make sure they can continue to come into our facilities."

Ms Ludford said elective surgeries would continue as planned as there have been no positive cases in the MLHD.

She said there would be an announcement soon about plans for increased testing in the region, adding mobile clinics had also been deployed to towns near the ACT border.

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