'Huge increase' in COVID-19 with new record of 633 cases across NSW: Premier Gladys Berejiklian

The new cases significantly exceed the previous record of 478 new cases on Sunday night and in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday night, NSW recorded 452 new COVID-19 cases and one death.

Three peopled died of COVID-19 during the same 24-hour period, including a male in his late 60s in Liverpool hospital who was unvaccinated, two males in their late 70s at Nepean Hospital one unvaccinated and one with just one dose.

"Yesterday there were 103,000 tests done in NSW and obviously that is a good number and we want to keep that up. Unfortunately we had a huge increase in the number of cases of community transmission," Ms Berejiklian said.

"There were 633 cases of community transmission and at this stage there were at least 62 of those who were infectious in the community at that time."

Murrumbidgee Local Health District has recorded zero new cases in the past four weeks from 28,164 tests performed.

Ms Berejiklian said 550 of the new cases were from south and south west Sydney and involved young people.

"At the movement, according to the data we have, every person who has the virus is spreading it to at least more than one person," she said.

"For us to know that we have reached our peak, that can't continue. What the data is telling us in the last few days is that we haven't seen the worst of it, and the way that we stop this is by everyone staying at home.

"You cannot get the virus if you do not have contact with other people. You have to assume, no matter where you are in the state, that every time you set foot out of your door that you have the virus and everyone you might have contact with has the virus."

The total number of vaccines administered in NSW is now 5,353,364, with 1,932,738 doses administered by NSW Health to 8pm last night and 3,420,626 administered by the GP network and other providers to 11:59pm on Monday 16 August 2021.

Of the 633 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night, 224 are from South Western Sydney Local Health District, 216 are from Western Sydney LHD, 54 are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, 52 are from Sydney LHD, 24 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD, 23 are from Western NSW LHD, 15 are from Hunter New England LHD, six are from Northern Sydney LHD, four are from Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD, four are from Far West LHD and 11 cases are yet to be assigned to an LHD.

NSW Health's ongoing sewage surveillance program has detected fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 at the Yamba, Bathurst and Orange sewage treatment plants in recent days.

The Yamba sewage treatment plant serves about 6,500 people, the Bathurst sewage treatment plant serves about 36,600 people and the Orange sewage treatment plant serves around 40,000 people.

NSW has started its fourth full day of statewide lockdown following the snap announcement on Saturday afternoon.

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