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NSW has recorded more than 1200 new coronavirus cases as the state pushes onward in the race to vaccinate almost three-quarters of its constituents.
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More than 157,00 people turned out for testing in the 24 hours to 8pm Sunday, and just shy of 50,000 vaccines were administered across NSW, premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
However, Sunday's record 1218 daily count of locally-acquired cases have been passed by the Monday morning announcement of 1290 new COVID-19 patients and four deaths, including the first regional death of the outbreak after a man in his 50s passed away in Dubbo.
The premier and deputy premier, John Barilaro, extended their condolences to the families of those
"I start by offering my condolences to the families who lost loved ones overnight," Mr Barilaro said.
"You remain in our thoughts and prayers."
In other news:
More than 35 per cent of eligible people in NSW have now had a double dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, passing the halfway mark to more freedoms that will come into play once 70 per cent of the population is vaccinated.
At least four of the state's correctional centres have been impacted, with Bathurst's jail in lockdown after several staff members tested positive to COVID-19 and more than 30 cases are connected to at Parklea Correctional Centre.
The Parklea cases also prompted lockdowns at Cessnock and Shortland prisons on Sunday.
The Western Sydney, South Western Sydney and Sydney local health districts [LHDs] accounted for 1009 of the new cases.
Ms Berejiklian warned that October loomed as the peak of pressure on the state's hospitals.
Beyond Sydney, though, she said there were promising signs.
"There's stabilisation across regional and rural NSW," she said.
Western NSW was the exception to regional NSW's performance, Ms Berejiklian said, with the outbreak in that area continuing to pose concerns.
Regionally, the Western LHD recorded another 51, nine were diagnosed in the Far West, six in the Central Coast, and five new cases emerged in the Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD.
The Dubbo man who died in hospital on Sunday had "significant underlying health conditions", the state's chief health officer Kerry Chant said.
So did a man in his 70s who died in Westmead Hospital, Dr Chant said. A western Sydney woman aged in her 60s, who acquired her infection at Cumberland Hospital, also passed away with the virus.
"Can I just extend my personal sympathies to the families," Dr Chant said.
"Every time we read out these names, there is a family that is grieving."
Dr Chant also warned that "no one can assume they're in an area that doesn't have COVID cases".
The Riverina and a number of other regional areas are on heightened alert after fragments of the virus were detected in Temora, Byron Bay, Cooma, Tamworth and Trangie wastewater. No cases had emerged in those centres when the detections were announced on Sunday.
The interstate, trans-Tasman situation:
In promising signs, staff at a Wagga trucking businesses have all returned negative tests after it was declared a close contact venue at the weekend.
Two essential workers passed through the region before testing positive for COVID-19, including a stop at Wagga Trucks for repairs on August 25. They are now isolating outside of the Murrumbidgee Local Health District [MLHD].
A second exposure site at Gundagai has been listed and is considered low-risk, as the drivers used contact-free payment at an unstaffed duel pump at IOR Petroleum in the early hours of August 25.
Surveillance testing is being ramped up at Temora, after fragments of the virus were found in sewage at the weekend.
The discovery comes after four venues in Temora and Beckom were linked to a false positive COVID-19 case last week.
Testing is also being conducted at Albury, Deniliquin, Wagga, West Wyalong and Lake Cargelligo, MLHD's director of public health Tracey Oakman confirmed on Saturday.
More on the pandemic:
Ms Berejiklian said that while the health system was under strain, there was capacity across it broadly as a network.
Asked whether children returning to classrooms in October was feasible given that predicted hospital pressure, Ms Berejiklian said that hospitalisation rates don't necessarily correlate with transmission.
"The rate of hospitalisation, the rate of people going into intensive care, goes down every time the vaccination rate goes up," she said.
"The vaccination is the best armour we have in protecting people against COVID and for living a normal life.
"If you're not vaccinated, don't expect freedoms at 70 per cent."
More vaccines are expected to arrive in Wagga soon, Dr Ayman Shenouda from the Glenrock Country Practice-based vaccination hub said.
He said that the clinic is also continuing to work with the federal government to increase supply of Pfizer.
"They are aware of this problem and I haven't heard anything negative from the government about increasing supply," Dr Shenouda said.
As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues across Australia, governments and some industries are introducing mandatory jab policies - with small businesses also getting on board.
Elm Cottage in Tumut will be introducing a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine rule for guests when restrictions ease. Manager David Sheldon believes such policies will "be a way of the future".
"We don't want to be discriminatory, but then again, we've got to show due care to everyone involved," he said.
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