If you live in these virus hot spots you need to get tested
A string of new Sydney suburbs have been named as COVID-19 hotspots with authorities urging residents to rush to get tested as the disease spreads insidiously.
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A string of new suburbs have been identified as COVID-19 hotspots as authorities struggle to trace the origin of these outbreaks.
A handful of suburbs have been named as the latest areas where people should get tested even if they have minor or no symptoms.
The local government areas of The Hills and Penrith are all the latest areas where people are being urged to get swabbed after authorities identified locally-acquired cases of the deadly virus.
Anyone who lives within these areas is urged to present for testing if they are concerned they may have the virus or symptoms like runny nose, sore throat, cough or fever.
It comes as the suburbs with the highest number of locally-acquired cases is revealed. In the week ending May 9, the Blue Mountains, South Eastern Sydney, Sydney, Northern Sydney and South Western Sydney all had the largest number of infections contracted locally.
The Blue Mountains had more than half the state's total infections for the week with 17 of the state's 25 COVID-19 cases. South Eastern Sydney followed closely behind with 12 cases of the disease in the seven day period followed by Central Sydney and Northern and South Western Sydney, who recorded around five cases.
It comes as Sydney's north continues to be a worrying COVID-19 hotspot with the most cases in NSW since the outbreak began as more cases emerged in the eastern suburbs and west.
The Waverley LGA last week recorded two more untraceable infections as it continues to lead the state with the largest number of COVID-19 cases, followed closely by Sydney, the Northern Beaches and Penrith.
Two untraceable COVID-19 infections last week emerged in the Waverly area after two men in their 30s contracted the deadly disease from an unknown source.
NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant expressed concern there may be an outbreak in the north after the patients couldn't figure out how they became infected.
"On preliminary investigation we couldn't find any likely exposure sources but they are being re-interviewed."
The eastern suburbs has also been dealing with a large number of infections, with one of the highest number of infections in the state as Dover Heights and Bondi in Sydney's east recorded one new case of COVID-19 on Friday.
It comes as Penrith in Sydney's west also confirmed yet another case with a man in his 30s from Penrith acquiring the infection from a contact.
Last month the premier established a same-day text messaging service to speed up the process.
Those who test negative for COVID-19 will be notified of their clean bill of health via text message, on the same day they are tested.
Currently it can take up to a week for doctors to notify patients if they are negative.
Ms Berejiklian said the same-day SMS will be “a huge relief for you and your family.”