New South Wales' 12-day streak of recording no locally transmitted COVID-19 cases has been broken after the state confirmed three additional infections overnight.
Australia's most populated state had received no reports of community transmission by 8pm on Tuesday night - only recording three cases in quarantined overseas travellers.
But since then three cases have been detected in Parramatta, Camden in Sydney's west and south and Wollondilly south-west of the city.
The new cases were reported in two women and a man aged in their 50s and are under urgent investigation.
The infections would dash NSW residents' hopes they can enjoy a holiday in Queensland if the Sunshine State sticks to its vow not to welcome travellers from its southern neighbour until it goes 28 days without community transmission.
New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday. The state's 12-day streak of recording no locally transmitted cases has been broken overnight
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said it was unrealistic for her Queensland counterpart to expect NSW to go four weeks without locally transmitted cases.
'I say to the Queensland Government, I appreciate you’ll probably come out today and say the 28 days is ticking again from the start,' she said.
'But I will put to you until the end of the pandemic, it’s highly unlikely NSW will ever get to 28 days of no community transmission, because that is not how a pandemic works.
'In New South Wales, where we are hosting major events, we need the community to be vigilant, but we have to accept there is that element of risk.'
Ms Berejiklian said though higher testing numbers were vital to suppressing the virus, which have remained low during the state's prolonged period without community transmission of the virus.
'Our suspicions the virus is always lurking in the community are founded – and we wouldn’t have said it if we didn’t mean it,' she said.
There were 5,970 tests confirmed in NSW in the last 24-hour reporting period, compared with 5,385 in the previous day.
A policeman patrols a packed Bondi Beach in Sydney's eastern suburbs on Monday
NSW Health is meanwhile calling on about 500,000 people living in the Hawkesbury and South Western Sydney to get tested if they have COVID-19 symptoms after the virus was detected in sewage at two treatment plants.
'We're calling on people in these catchments to come forward for testing with even the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat,' NSW Executive Director of Health Protection Dr Richard Broome said.
Victoria on Wednesday recorded only six additional cases of COVID-19 overnight and two more deaths from the virus.
Digital sign warning of Bondi Beach reaching capacity at the famous beach during Monday's Labour Day public holiday
The figures may still not be low enough though to justify a further easing of restrictions in Melbourne.
The 14-day rolling average in metropolitan Melbourne decreased to 9.9 from 10.6 on Wednesday, while the number of cases with an unknown source fell from 13 to 12.
The Andrews government has set an ambitious target of a rolling two-week average of just five cases a day if lockdown is to be eased by October 19.
A woman is seen exercising on The Tan in Melbourne on Saturday. The 14-day rolling average in metropolitan Melbourne decreased to 9.9 on Wednesday - but that figure will likely not be low enough to justify a further easing of restrictions in the city
Premier Daniel Andrews said there had been a 'significant outbreak' in Chadstone in Melbourne's east which has grown to 31 infections.
He added however testing numbers remained strong - with 16,429 residents being tested for COVID-19 in Victoria on Tuesday alone.
Mr Andrews said health officials may consider opening up Melbourne if the rolling 14-day average is slightly higher than five, but they would look at the context of the cases.