Four people die in Sydney's devastating Covid outbreak as cases drop slightly to 415 with up to 339 infectious in the community as six suburbs where the virus is concentrated are revealed

New South Wales has recorded 415 cases of Covid-19 and four deaths as the Delta outbreak continues to spread throughout the state. 

At least 66 of those people were in the community for all or part of their infectious period, with 273 under investigation. This means up to 339 may have been infectious while out and about. 

Four people died in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday, including an unvaccinated woman in her 50s, another in her 70s who had one jab, a man in his 80s and a fully vaccinated woman in her 80s who had an underlying health condition.  

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Sunday that the new infections are concentrated around western Sydney, especially in Blacktown, Mount Druitt, Merion, Maryland, Orban and Guildford. 

People in Sydney, Wollongong, the Blue Mountains, and the Central Coast have now been in lockdown for 51 days.

On Saturday it was announced that the whole of NSW, including regional areas, will be plunged into a seven-day lockdown at 5pm on Sunday.

However, Health Minister Greg Hunt incorrectly told reporters on Sunday morning the lockdown was for 14 days, sparking panic and rumours.

'The strong, clear, unequivocal support for the hard 14-day statewide lockdown is a difficult decision,' he said.

'It affects a lot of people. It is the right decision and that is backed by the very significant injuries and vaccinated which were occurring but which will now be aided by additional doses.' 

There are 62 people in ICU with Covid, including a 15-year-old who also has meningitis.  

Ms Berejiklian also said NSW has hit five million vaccinations so far, on its way to a target of six million by August 28, and 50 per cent of people have had one jab. 

'NSW will be receiving an additional half million doses of Pfizer,' she said.

'Please know we will be putting a very good use. We will be targeting 16 to 39 year olds in those local government areas of concern.'

NSW recorded 415 new cases of Covid-19 on Sunday. 50 per cent of people in NSW have now had one jab. Pictured: A woman in Camperdown, Sydney's inner-west

There are 62 people in intensive care in NSW hospitals. Pictured: A sign warning people not to travel more than 5km away from home

She also told people not to be 'fussy' about the vaccine they're offered.

'Get your hands on whatever vaccine you can, and please get vaccinated,' she said. 

Ms Berejiklian also said 'it's not possible to eliminate' the Delta strain 'completely' and that we 'need to learn to live with it', but her government is looking for opportunities for vaccinated people to gain some freedoms in September and October. 

'We are looking for what opportunities we can provide our citizens in September and October,' she told reporters.

'As I've said, we can't expect to live life freely before the outbreak until we at least hit 70 per cent both doses.'

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told residents not to be 'fussy' about what vaccine they are offfered

The whole of NSW was plunged into a seven-day lockdown to curb the number of positive cases. Pictured: Someone in locked-down Sydney

Pictured: A graph showing the rise in positive Covid-19 cases in Sydney since late June, 2021

What you need to know about Sydney’s Delta outbreak:

NSW recorded 415 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday.

There have been four new deaths and 63 people are in ICU.

People in Greater Sydney, Wollongong, the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast have now been in lockdown for 51 days.

Travel radius for residents of Greater Sydney reduced from 10km to 5km.

Lockdown has now been expanded to include the entire state for seven days, starting at 5pm on Sunday. 

Residents are also unable to visit their second homes except for under special circumstances. 

About 50 per cent of people in New South Wales have now received their first Covid-19 jab.

There have been 5 million doses administered in the state in total. 

$5,000 fines for breaching quarantine, lying on a permit or to contact tracers.

$3,000 fines for breaching two-person exercise limit and wrongfully entering regional NSW.

$320 payment plan for those having to isolate while awaiting test results and are unable to work will also be set up. 

Those who are eligible for the singles bubble in 12 LGAs of concern must register their companion online.

These LGAs are Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and parts of Penrith.

When she was repeatedly asked whether restrictions would be eased if there were more vaccinations, Ms Berejiklian grew visibly frustrated. 

'I've answered that question a few times,' she said.

'Can I be very specific about this - we need to keep case numbers as low as possible,' she said. 

'Living freely will not be upon us until we have lowercase numbers and until we have 70 per cent, 80 per cent double doses.'  

The state leader pleaded with people to follow the stay-at-home orders to reduce the number of cases.

'If you know that extended family members or friends are doing the wrong thing, call them out,' she said, adding that thousands of residents have been calling police on their friends and neighbours.  

About 50 per cent of people in New South Wales have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. Pictured: Police at Coogee Beach on Sunday morning

Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged Sydneysiders to stay home to stop a spike in case numbers. Pictured: Two people in Bronte on Sunday

On Sunday, Health minister Greg Hunt wrongly said NSW was in a 14-day lockdown. The entire state will be in lockdown for seven days. Pictured: People on Coogee Beach on Sunday

New South Wales recorded its darkest day since the Covid-19 pandemic began on Saturday with 466 new infections.

By Saturday evening, the state was told another 26 venues had been exposed to the virus.

Of the new local cases, 345 were under investigation, while 87 people were in the community for all or part of the time they were infectious - a number health authorities have tried to get as close to zero as possible since the outbreak began.  

There are fears the virus is spreading far and wide across NSW following the detection of Covid fragments in sewage in Broken Hill in the far west, where there are no known cases.  

'Everyone in these areas is urged to monitor for the onset of symptoms, and if they appear, to immediately be tested and isolate until a negative result is received,' NSW Health said. 

NSW Health on Saturday flagged several sites that were visited by Covid-19 cases including 17 in Dubbo alone - which recorded 16 new infections - such as a church and a Priceline Pharmacy.

New South Wales experienced its darkest day since the Covid-19 pandemic began on Saturday with 466 new infections recorded and another 26 exposure sites listed around the state

Sydneysiders are seven weeks into a lockdown with no end in sight (pictured residents at Bondi Beach)

Other venues of concern have popped up in the Hunter region and the Central Coast including a chiropractor's office and a train station. 

The Saint Laurence O'Toole Church in Dubbo, in central NSW, was visited by a positive case on Sunday, August 8 between 6:50am and 8:35am.

Anyone who visited the church during those times is considered a close contact and must isolate for 14 days regardless of Covid test results.

The same direction applies to those who shopped at the Priceline store in the town on Tuesday August 10 from 1:55pm to 3:55pm.

A skateshop and various cafes were also listed as exposure sites in Dubbo with close contacts to go into two weeks of isolation immediately. 

Exposure sites have also popped up in Charlestown in Newcastle with alerts being issued for the town's shopping centre and another Priceline pharmacy.

The Guzman y Gomez restaurant in East Maitland was also exposed over several days from Saturday August 7 to Wednesday August 11.

NSW Health has issued a new series of instructions for those who visited several recent exposure sites.

Anyone who attended specific venues listed is urged to get tested immediately and isolate until given a negative result.

However, if the exposure occurred within the last four days, residents must get another test on day five from the date of exposure and limit their movements until a another negative result is received.

Saturday was NSW's worst day on record for Covid infections which prompted Premier Gladys Berejiklian to introduce a raft of new restrictions

Residents are seen soaking up the sunshine in Bondi Beach on Saturday following a record breaking 466 new cases

REGIONAL NSW LOCKDOWN  

The lockdown applies for the whole of regional NSW, effective from 5pm Saturday until 12.01am Sunday 22 August 2021.

Everyone must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave. They also cannot have visitors in their home from outside their household, including family and friends.

People still can have one visitor for carers' responsibilities or provide care or assistance, or for compassionate reasons, including where two people are in a relationship but do not live together.

All hospitality venues must be closed to the public, including pubs, restaurants and cafes, except for takeaway.

Some other retail premises are required to close. 

Anyone who leaves their home must carry a mask with them. 

Masks must be worn when working outdoors, by all school staff, by all people in outdoor markets, outdoor shopping strips, and in an outdoor queues waiting for products such as coffee and food.

Every employer across NSW must require their employees to work from home unless it is not reasonably practicable.

It is a reasonable excuse to leave your home for work – but only if it is not practicable to work from home.

There will be a one-day 'grace period' for planned weddings and funerals in the regional areas that have not already been subject to a lockdown.

From Monday, small funerals and memorial services of 10 persons only (excluding the persons conducting the service) will be permitted. 

After NSW recorded more than 2000 fresh cases in the past week, the Australian Medical Association had urged for the statewide lockdown saying the health system could no longer manage the alarming increase in case numbers.

'Our already fragile rural and regional health system will be unable to cope with increases in cases,' AMA NSW President Dr Danielle McMullen said in a statement. 

Ms Berejiklian described the current outbreak as an 'extremely concerning situation' and told reporters on Saturday morning travel restrictions would be tightened in Sydney effective from Monday.

'You can do activity within your local government area but instead of 10km from your home, it will be 5km from your home and that's for all of Greater Sydney,' she said.

For those who don't know exactly where the 5km boundary from their house extends, there is an easy way to check. 

The website KM From Home allows users to enter their address and see a red circle on a map which will indicate where they can travel to.  

To use the service simply allow the website to access your location - a popup will appear - or you can type your address or even drag a pin to the correct point on the map.  

Travel restrictions in Sydney have been tightened and residents will now have to be within 5km of their home if leaving for essential reasons

A handy website will show you a five-kilometre radius from your home address

The police presence will also ramp up in affected LGAs, with officers able to impose larger fines of $5000 for breaching public health orders.

'There will be a visible and increased police presence in the affected local government areas including deployment of specialised commands, and including the riot squad, highway patrol, and increased presence more broadly,' Ms Berejiklian said. 

An additional 500 ADF personnel will be deployed on top of 300 already in NSW.

Also from next week, people in Sydney will need a permit to travel to regional NSW while single people in affected LGAs will need to register their 'single buddies' online to make it easier for police conducting compliance checks. 

The bubble was originally set up to give those living alone during lockdown a 'buddy' to socialise with but the new mandate will allow the government to keep track of who is sleeping with who - and it's now known who will have access to the information.

The police presence will also ramp up in affected LGAs, with officers able to impose larger fines of $5000 for breaching public health orders

'Unfortunately some people were trying to get around the rules imposed,' the premier said hinting that singles were visiting more than one person.

'In affected local government areas you will need to register your single buddies so people are not abusing that rule.' 

She reiterated there has been no known cases linked to people operating under the singles bubble but the new restrictions are being imposed to ensure spread doesn't occur.  

The affected areas where the restrictions will apply are Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and areas of Penrith councils. 

Anyone living in the listed LGAs can only have a single buddy who also lives within their same LGA.

While people in Sydney cannot travel more than 5km from their home, there is no restriction on visiting a partner based on 'compassionate grounds'. 

Sydneysiders - and those in the regions - will also now be handed a $3,000 fine for breaching the two-person exercise limit. There will also be $3,000 fines for Sydneysiders found wrongfully found entering regional NSW.  

Sydneysiders - and those in the regions - will also now be handed a $3,000 fine for breaching the two-person exercise limit

Ms Berejiklian told reporters people leaving their house for exercise had to be either actively exercising or supervising children.

'Exercise means exercise, many people know that but unfortunately some people were trying to get around the rules imposed,' she said.  

In positive news a $320 cash payment will be offered to anyone who needs to isolate after taking a Covid test - and would be financially affected for doing so - in a bid to prevent potentially infected residents going in to work. 

'We have the $320 immediate payment now available, so if people are waiting at home, they have access to the disaster payment if they are out of work but if there is somebody who was working who has been asked to stay home for various reasons they are waiting for their results, they will be eligible for the $320 payment,' Ms Berejiklian said on Saturday.

The payment plan for those unable to work while awaiting Covid test results will be limited to nine LGAs that have been hit the hardest in the recent outbreak.   

A string of new exposure sites around NSW were also listed on Saturday as residents undergo tough new restrictions

For those in lockdown in regional NSW, people fulfilling carers' responsibilities are permitted to have one visitor for compassionate reasons.

Two people who are in a relationship but do not live together may also visit each other.

All hospitality venues in regional areas must shut, including pubs, restaurants and cafes, except for takeaway.

Mask mandates are also in place and must be worn when working outdoors, by school staff, in outdoor markets, outdoor shopping strips, and in outdoor queues when waiting for takeaway services.

NSW Health has given a one-day grace period for planned weddings and funerals in regional areas which may still go ahead until 12.01am on Monday August 16 but only if guests are from areas that have not already been subject to a lockdown.

From Monday, only small funerals and memorial services of 10 persons will be permitted in the regions.  

A massive queue formed outside Woolworths in Griffith, in central NSW, on Saturday afternoon with toilet paper running out at 4pm.

Similar scenes were reported across the region. 

Footage from the Griffith Woolworths showed dozens of shoppers filling their trolleys and stocking up on essentials - despite supermarkets staying open during lockdown.  

Meanwhile, a Coffs Harbour local was so desperate they offered to sell their spot in a Woolworths queue on a Facebook group because of wait times of up to an hour. 

Similar scenes were seen at supermarkets in Broken Hill, in far-western NSW, with bread, milk and toilet paper in high demand.