Sydney's Covid cases hit a record 172 - including five 120km away on the Central Coast - as two die and a weary Gladys Berejiklian admits infections are soaring in the west... while some lucky NSW residents get out of lockdown tonight

Tough stay-at home orders will be lifted from parts of New South Wales tonight despite the state recording a record 172 new Covid cases. 

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 60 of those cases - recorded from 84,468 tests in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday night - were out in the community while infectious. 

In an alarming sign Sydney's outbreak had spread to regional NSW, five of the cases were recorded on the Central Coast - more than 120km away from the Harbour City. 

But there was better news for the local government areas of Orange, Blayney and Cabonne which had successfully contained local outbreaks and would be freed from stay-at-home orders at 12.01am on Wednesday. 

The regions will return to the same restrictions as the rest of regional NSW. 

'There has been no further transmission of Covid-19 detected in the region since the case notified on July 20,' NSW Health said in a statement.

'As there has been a case recently in the community, and the ongoing outbreak continues across Sydney, it is vital people in these communities and throughout NSW continue to come forward for testing at the first sign of even mild symptoms.'

NSW Health also confirmed the deaths of two residents from Covid-19 - both of which were announced on Monday. Both were in their 80s but neither had taken up the chance to get vaccinated against the virus.

The deaths bring the number of Covid-related fatalities during Sydney's Delta outbreak to 10. 

Of the new cases announced on Tuesday, 32 are mystery infections which have not been linked to known carriers and are still under investigation. 

Tuesday's increase in cases is the highest daily rise in NSW since April 2020. There are now 2,175 live cases stemming from the outbreak that began on June 16 when an airport limousine worker tested positive to Covid-19 in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Ms Berejiklian said she hoped to announce as early as Wednesday whether or not she would extend Greater Sydney's five-week stay-at-home lockdown beyond July 30.

A continuance of lockdown, at least in the most affected areas, seemed certain and the Premier said the epicentre of the outbreak was starting to shift from south-west Sydney and move further to the west. 

'We are now seeing the virus becoming more prevalent in western Sydney than south-west Sydney,' she said. 

Of the new cases, 65 were found in south-west Sydney and 54 detected in the city's west.

At her daily press conference on Tuesday, Ms Berejiklian rolled out a new pilot program to make vaccines available at the state's chemists and pharmacies in order to rapidly increase the number of jabs to allow for an easing of economy-crippling lockdowns and job losses.

From this week, chemists can administer the AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab to all NSW residents over the age of 40 as part of a pilot program to boost vaccination rates across the state.

Tuesday's increase in cases is the largest in Sydney's latest outbreak and the highest daily rise since April 2020

Pictured is the entrance to the newly-opened south-western Sydney vaccination centre at Macquarie Fields on Monday

Sydneysiders walking through the city on Monday as the Delta Covid-19 outbreak continues to grow

Pictured: Tuggerah Westfield on the NSW Central Coast. Venues at the shopping centre were on the overnight list of sites across the state exposed to Covid-19

'My message to everybody is please come forward and get the vaccine,' Ms Berejiklian said.

'Not only are you protecting yourself but you’re protecting those closest to you.' 

Health Minister Brad Hazzard repeated calls for the federal government and other states and territories - which are relatively untouched by Covid - to give NSW more Pfizer vaccine doses to help fight Sydney's outbreak.

'We need more Pfizer,' he said.  

'We are entirely dependent on the federal government supply of the vaccine. We know for a fact we will not have enough Pfizer in the next few weeks to do what we want to do.

'We would have liked some help from our state colleagues, but that hasn’t happened.'

On Tuesday morning it was revealed that a five-storey apartment building in Blacktown, in the city's south-west, is in lockdown with more than 100 people isolating after an outbreak of cases in the unit block.

Pictured is a queue at a pop-up Covid-19 vaccination clinic in the western Sydney suburb of Merrylands on Tuesday. Ms Berejiklian called on Sydneysiders to get vaccinated against the virus as she rolled out a new pilot program to make the jabs available at the state's chemists and pharmacies

The complex is under police guard after the building on Devitt Street was listed as a high-risk exposure site. 

NSW Health's Dr Jeremy McAnulty said six cases had been detected across three households at the apartment and all residents had now been tested for the virus.

Pictured is a resident at the locked-down Devitt Street apartment building in Blacktown in Sydney's west. The city has recorded another 172 cases of Covid-19 overnight

A separate outbreak has been detected at Liverpool Hospital in the city's south-west, where three nurses and eight patients have tested positive to the virus. 

Three staff members and eight patients at Liverpool Hospital in western Sydney have tested positive for Covid.

NSW Health said five infections had been found in the same house in the Central Coast suburbs of Budgewoi, and that authorities are concerned about two close contacts who were also living under the same roof. 

Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper said the two contacts have tested negative, but one visited 25 shops in five days when they should have been isolating. 

Cleaners in HAZMAT suits are pictured at a locked-down apartment building at Devitt Street in the south-west Sydney suburb of Blacktown on Tuesday

The announcement came after it was reported that authorities were considering dividing Sydney for the purposes of lockdown, tightening restrictions in the west and southwest suburbs, while lifting measures elsewhere to allow businesses to reopen. 

The NSW government held a five-hour crisis cabinet meeting on Monday to decide whether to strengthen restrictions only in areas hit hardest by the virus - such as Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool. 

There were also conversations about whether to ease public health orders for the Northern Beaches, Wollongong and Shellharbour - all of which have not seen any new cases in about a month.

Sydney could be split in two, with people from Covid-ravaged areas facing tighter lockdowns under plans being considered by the NSW Government. Pictured: A woman walking along Bondi Beach on Monday

Government sources told The Australian attendees were allowed to deliberate on their positions overnight, before key decisions were made on Tuesday.

Economic modelling commissioned by Treasurer Dominic Perrottet projected the fallout of keeping the city locked down until mid-September would result in mass job losses.

Other members of the crisis cabinet, including the state's chief health officer Kerry Chant, would like a restrained approach and told reporters on Monday that restrictions should stay 'as tight as possible'.

Covid-addled parts of the state could be in lockdown for longer than other areas, depending on figures this week. Pictured: Police walking down the street in south-west Sydney

Pictured: Police on horseback in south-west Sydney, after a spike in positive cases in the city

On Monday, Ms Berejiklian was tight-lipped about what lockdown will look like post July 30, but she said risk factors would be weighed against residents' freedoms.

'Our mission is to keep the community as safe as possible, but also to make sure we allow the community to live as freely as we can as well,' she said.

'There's no doubt that some restrictions have better effects than others, and that is the advice we'll get from our health experts in consultation with other officials.'  

Despite the concentration of cases in the city's south-west, of most concern to contact tracers on Monday night was an entire shopping centre in Campsie, which was exposed to the virus for 11 days between Wednesday July 14 and Saturday July 24.  

Police officers will remain outside the flats for the two week period to ensure no one leaves or enters

As many as 100 residents will be locked inside their flats for the next two weeks after several linked cases have been recorded in the building

Residents of the Blacktown apartment building are all being tested as health officials in full PPE remain stationed outside

Officials have discovered several cases inside the flats are linked, leading to New South Wales Health taking over, with pathology teams onsite

FIND THE LATEST EXPOSURE SITES NEAR YOU

The shopping complex has become the scene of multiple transmissions of the virus, forcing thousands of shoppers and staff into isolation. 

It was one of 67 new exposure sites listed by health officials on Monday night, including supermarkets, takeaways and chemists. 

The sites are mostly clustered across the west and south-western suburbs of Sydney, but with some concerning venues in the Central Coast. 

Worryingly for health officials and policymakers, 51 of Monday's new cases were out in the community while infectious (pictured, a woman on an eerily quiet George Street in Sydney on Monday)

An urgent health alert has now been sent out to shoppers and staff who attended the busy Campsie Centre Shopping Mall from anytime between July 14 to 24

Among the most concerning health alerts was the Campsie Centre Shopping Mall, with anyone who visited on the days listed at any time now considered a close contact and having to immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result. 

The exposure is likely to plunge thousands into isolation.  

'This venue was visited by confirmed cases of Covid-19 and onwards transmission has been detected,' NSW Health confirmed.  

Among the huge number of other venues added to the ever-growing list was the Lobster Tail Fish Market in Bankstown Central, Prospect and Seven Hills Woolworths, Fairfield Coles, Paramatta Centrelink and T2 of Sydney's Domestic Airport.

Sydney's gruelling coronavirus lockdown is likely to be tightened even further after an explosion of Covid exposure sites were declared across the Harbour City on Monday night (pictured, a locked down Bondi Beach)

Aldi supermarket at Guildford in Sydney was flagged as an exposure site for Saturday July 24

Woolworths in Sydney's Prospect was listed as a Covid exposure site on Monday

Sydney's CBD is pictured almost empty on Monday as the brutal lockdown continued unabated 

Several supermarkets were listed as casual contact sites, including San Remo Coles

Despite the economic fallout, some cabinet members called for harsher measures to be introduced, particularly in Covid-ravaged Local Government Areas (pictured, a man is seen in a face shield at Auburn in Sydney)

BUMPER LIST OF NSW COVID EXPOSURE SITES REVEALED MONDAY NIGHT 

The following venue was visited by confirmed cases of COVID‑19 and onwards transmission has been detected. Anyone who attended the following venue on the days listed is a close contact and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days from this day, regardless of the result.

Campsie: Campsie Centre Shopping mall 14-28 Amy Street From Wednesday 14 July to Saturday 24 July  

Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result.

Campsie: Campsie Growers Market 14-28 Amy Street. Thursday 22 July 6:00am to 6:00pm. Friday 23 July 6:00am to 4:00pm

Campsie: The World of Fruit 224 Beamish St. Monday 19 July 3:00pm to 4:00pm. Tuesday 20 July 11:00am to 12:00pm. Thursday 22 July 7:00am to 7:00pm. Friday 23 July 7:00am to 7:00pm

Campsie: Man Hing Chinese Takeaway Campsie Centre, 14-28 Amy Street. Friday 16 July 11:00am to 2:00pm. Saturday 17 July 11:00am to 2:00pm. Sunday 18 July 11:00am to 2:00pm. Monday 19 July 11:00am to 2:00pm. Tuesday 20 July 11:00am to 2:00pm

Enfield: Produce Pet and Garden Supplies 56 Coronation Parade. Saturday 17 July 11:35am to 11:50am

Merrylands: Triple 333 Medical Centre 333 Merrylands Road. Sunday 18 July All day

Toukley: H&R Block 1 /266 Main Road. Friday 23 July 1:40pm to 2:15pm 

Lakemba: BD Fresh Vegetable Grocery 2/52 Railway Parade. Sunday 18 July 9:20am to 11am. Sunday 18 July 3pm to 3:15pm. Monday 19 July 10:40am to 11am

Lakemba: Ahmad Chami Butchery Shop 5, 60A The Boulevard. Monday 19 July 1pm to 2pm

Lakemba: Good Price Supermarket 32 Haldon Street. Sunday 18 July 4pm to 4:15pm

Beaumont Hills: Chemist Warehouse 70 The Parkway. Monday 19 July 10:50am to 7:20pm. Tuesday 20 July 2:20pm to 10:50pm. Wednesday 21 July 2:40pm to 10:40pm. Thursday 22 July 2:30pm to 10:30pm. Friday 23 July 10:50am to 7:20pm

Campsie: Jin Mart 10 London Street. Monday 19 July 1:50pm to 1:55pm

Mascot: DHL Express 3 Keith Smith Avenue. Sunday 18 July 6:15pm to 12pm. Monday 19 July 12am to 2:30am. Monday 19 July 12:45pm to 9pm

Lakemba: Exim Supermarket 70 Haldon Street. Monday 19 July 2pm to 3pm

Campsie: 85 Degrees Daily Cafe 216 Beamish Street. Sunday 18 July 2:30pm to 2:35pm. Monday 19 July 1:25pm to 1:30pm

Campsie: Campsie Growers Market Campsie Centre, Shop 5/14-28 Amy Street. Friday 16 July 5:30am to 6pm. Saturday 17 July 5:30am to 6pm. Sunday 18 July 5:30am to 6pm. Monday 19 July 5:30am to 6pm. Tuesday 20 July 5:30am to 6pm

Lakemba: Haldon Street Medical Practice 99/101 Haldon Street. Sunday 18 July 9am to 3pm. Monday 19 July 8:15am to 6:30pm. Tuesday 20 July 8:15am to 11am. Wednesday 21 July 10am to 11am

Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received. 

Bankstown: Lobster Tail Fish Market Bankstown Central, North Terrace Wednesday 21 July 5:00am to 6:00pm

Bankstown: Bankstown Lebanese Fruit and Mixed business 212 South Terrace Thursday 22 July 10:00am to 10:15am

Prospect: Woolworths 360 Flushcombe Rd. Saturday 24 July 1:00pm to 1:20pm. Saturday 24 July 5:30pm to 5:35pm

Fairfield: Heights Woolworths 186 The Boulevard Fairfield Heights. Sunday 18 July 11:45am to 12:30pm

Parramatta: Centrelink 2-12 Macquarie St. Tuesday 20 July 12:10pm to 12:45pm

Guildford: Aldi 280/290 Woodville Rd. Saturday 24 July 1:30pm to 2:00pm

Mascot: T2 Domestic Airport Keith Smith Ave. Wednesday 14 July 9:45am to 10:30am

Wetherill Park: Chemistworks 561 Polding Street. Monday 12 July 3:30pm to 4:00pm. Monday 12 July 4:20pm to 4:45pm. Tuesday 20 July 2:00pm to 2:20pm

Auburn: Auburn Central Shopping Centre 57-59 Queen St. Saturday 17 July 2:25pm to 4:05pm. Saturday 17 July 2:55pm to 3:40pm

Kogarah: Fardoulis Sweet and Nuts 129 Princes Hwy. Wednesday 21 July 12:00pm to 5:45pm. Thursday 22 July 12:00pmto 5:45pm. Friday 23 July 12:00pm to 5:45pm

Bankstown: Sairays Grocery Store Shop 2/83-99 North Terrace. Sunday 18 July 6:50pm to 7:00pm. Monday 19 July 3:00pm to 3:10pm

Sydney: Chinese Ginseng and Herbs 75 Ultimo Rd. Saturday 17 July 4:00pm to 4:30pm

Fairfield: Coles Fairfield Forum, Station Street. Wednesday 21 July 2:30pm to 3:30pm 

Strathfield: Strathfield Plaza 11 The Boulevarde. Tuesday 20 July 2:45pm to 5:00pm

Bankstown: Blooms Chemist Bankstown Central, 1 North Terrace. Thursday 22 July 4:40pm to 4:45pm

Bankstown: Woolworths Bankstown Notth Terrave Shop SP247. Friday 23 July 12:40pm to 12:50pm

Bankstown: Pharmacy4less North Terrace Shop SP247. Friday 23 July 12:40pm to 12:50pm

San Remo: Singletons Butchery Northlakes Shopping Centre, 17-21 Pacific Highway. Wednesday 21 July 1:55pm to 2:05pm

San Remo: Northlakes Shopping Centre 17-21 Pacific Highway. Wednesday 21 July 1:55pm to 2:20pm. Thursday 22 July 11:05am to 11:30am. Friday 23 July 2:20pm to 3:05pm. Saturday 24 July 1pm to 1:15pm. Sunday 25 July 9:40am to 10:15am

San Remo: Coles 21 Pacific Highway. Wednesday 21 July 2:05pm to 2:20pm. Friday 23 July 2:35pm to 2:50pm. Sunday 25 July 9:45am to 10:15am

Northlakes: Priceline Pharmacy Northlakes Shopping Centre, 17-21 Pacific Highway. Thursday 22 July 11am to 11:30am. Friday 23 July 2:20pm to 2:40pm

Tuggerah: Westfield – Coles side 50 Wyong Rd. Friday 23 July 12:20pm to 1pm

Tuggerah: Dan Murphys Westfield, 50 Wyong Road. Friday 23 July 12:20pm to 12:30pm

Tuggerah: Smokemart Westfield, 50 Wyong Road. Friday 23 July 12:25pm to 12:30pm

Tuggerah: Coles Westfield, 50 Wyong Road. Friday 23 July 12:30pm to 1pm

San Remo: Coles Liquor 21 Pacific Highway. Friday 23 July 2:50pm to 3:05pm. Saturday 24 July 1pm to 1:15pm

Lake Haven: Lake Haven Shopping Centre Lake Haven Drive and Goobarabah Avenue. Saturday 24 July 10:15am to 10:50am

Lake Haven: Coles Lake Haven Shopping Centre, Lake Haven Drive and Goobarabah Avenue. Saturday 24 July 10:15am to 10:25am

Lake Haven: Priceline Pharmacy Lake Haven Shopping Centre, Lake Haven Drive and Goobarabah Avenue. Saturday 24 July 10:20am to 10:40am

Lake Haven: Post Office 121/43 Lake Haven Drive. Saturday 24 July 10:35am to 10:50am

Charmhaven: Bunnings Warehouse Cnr Chelmsford Road and Pacific Highway. Saturday 24 July 12:25pm to 12:45pm. Saturday 24 July 1:25pm to 1:45pm 

Charmhaven: HipPocket Workwear 5/6 Botham Close. Saturday 24 July 12:45pm to 12:55pm

San Remo: Charmhaven Newsagency Northlakes Shopping Centre, 15/17 Pacific Highway. Sunday 25 July 9:40am to 9:50am

Blacktown: Bunnings Warehouse 183 Reservoir Road. Thursday 15 July 10:15am to 11:15am

St Marys: Astley Pharmacy and Mobility Mamre Road. Wednesday 14 July 11am to 11:15am. Sunday 18 July 5:25pm to 5:35pm

Werrington: 7-Eleven Werrington 122 Dunheved Road. Wednesday 14 July 12:50pm to 1:10pm

Fairfield Heights: Woolworths, Fairfield Heights 186 The Boulevarde. Wednesday 21 July 12:30pm to 12:40pm. Thursday 22 July 1:40pm to 2pm. Friday 23 July 2:30pm to 3pm. Friday 23 July 7:30pm to 8pm

Fairfield: Woolworths, Neeta City 1/29 Court Road. Thursday 22 July 1:20pm to 1:30pm

Fairfield: Danny's Meat Market Butcher Fairfield West Market Plaza, 8 Station Street. Thursday 22 July 4:30pm to 4:40pm

Fairfield Heights: Fruit Centre 2 209 The Boulevarde. Friday 23 July 3pm to 3:10pm

Kogarah: Fardoulis Sweets & Nuts 129 Princes Highway. Wednesday 21 July 12pm to 5:45pm. Thursday 22 July 12pm to 5:45pm. Friday 23 July 12pm to 5:45pm

Silverwater: Flowers for Everyone 2/17 Fisher Street. Friday 16 July 2:55pm to 3pm

Granville: Chemist Warehouse 58 South Street. Wednesday 21 July 6pm to 6:30pm

Greystanes: Woolworths Graystanes Shopping Centre, 656 Merrylands Road. Thursday 22 July 12pm to 12:30pm

Lalor Park: Lalor Park Hot Bread Shop 28 Freeman Street. Sunday 18 July 11:05am to 11:15am

Mount Druitt: Coles Westfield Luxford Road. Friday 16 July 8am to 9am

Merrylands: National Australia Bank 52 McFarlane Street. Tuesday 20 July 9:30am to 10:30am

Seven Hills: Woolworths Seven Hills Seven Hills Plaza, 224 Prospect Highway. Thursday 15 July 3:25pm to 5pm. Thursday 15 July 2pm to 3:30pm. Saturday 17 July 9:30am to 10:30am. Sunday 18 July 8:20am to 8:45am

Wetherill Park: Coles Wetherill Park Stockland Wetherill Park, 561-563 Polding Street. Sunday 18 July 3:45pm to 3:55pm

Fairfield: Chemist Warehouse 8 Kenyon Street. Monday 19 July 4pm to 4:20pm