The NSW Premier expects the state's daily Covid case figures to rise further after 124 new cases were detected on another record day of testing.
Of the new cases - detected from 85,000 swabs - 48 were infectious in the community. Fifty-four were recorded from Sydney's southwest and 40 were in the West.
Gladys Berejiklian issued a stark warning on Thursday, saying she expects "case numbers to go up even higher".
The premier also said infection spillover from Fairfield into neighbouring LGAs had already begun.
"Unfortunately, our fears of having spillover from the Fairfield local government area and all the suburbs in that local government area into the Canterbury-Bankstown local government area and into the Cumberland local government area have proven to be materialising or proven to be occurring," Ms Berejiklian said.
There are 118 people battling Covid in hospital with 28 in the ICU and 14 on ventilation. Fifteen people admitted to hospital are aged under 35.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison apologised for the vaccine rollout being held up, and announced the rollout of AstraZeneca vaccine in pharmacies would be brought forward.
NSW recorded 124 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. pic.twitter.com/4y3TvoDUpF
NSW recorded 124 new locally transmitted cases of Covid-19, the highest spike since the outbreak began on June 16. Of the new cases, 43 were in the community for their entire infectious period.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said NSW residents will learn how much longer lockdown will go "this time next week".
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said 9000 Pfizer vaccines and only 50 AstraZeneca vaccines were issued at Sydney's largest vaccination hub yesterday.
Authorities put 363 NSW suburbs on high alert, urging people to get tested if they are from those areas.
Victoria recorded 124 new local Covid-19 cases, South Australia recorded two new cases of the virus.
Queensland has slammed the border shut with NSW, with restrictions beginning 1am Friday. The state has relaxed restrictions but masks will need to be worn for seven more days.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was "sorry" for the vaccine rollout being held back.
The prime minister also announced pharmacies would be bringing forward the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine. He is urging everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Mr Morrison revealed 76,000 people under the age of 40 had received AstraZeneca since June 28.
Two people have died after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine – a 44-year-old Tasmanian man and 48-year-old Victorian woman. Both were confirmed to have died of blood clots from the first dose.
Thanks for following along with The Daily Telegraph's live blog. We'll be back bright and early tomorrow to report on all things Covid-19. Stay home and stay safe.
Suburbs in Sydney’s southwest among areas of particular concern
A large area in Sydney’s southwest has been singled out as “particularly concerning” as NSW health officials scramble to contain the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Most of the 124 cases reported on Thursday were discovered in the council areas of Fairfield, Cumberland and Canterbury-Bankstown, with significant spread in Blacktown, Liverpool and Georges River as well.
Top NSW Health official Jeremy McAnulty read out a list of suburbs where he said it was extra important for locals to get tested for Covid-19.
“It’s so important that people come forward for testing so we can uncover cases quickly,” he told reporters.
Victorian venues exposed to coronavirus have surged to 380 after dozens of new sites were added overnight.
Several Coles stores, in Roxburgh Park and Bentleigh, and a Woolworths in Caulfield North, were among the latest additions.
A nail salon in Roxburgh Village shopping centre was also listed as an exposure site after a confirmed case visited the venue.
The popular Prahran Market, at 163 Commercial Rd, South Yarra, has also been visited by a positive case.
Management said the positive shopper visited the market on Saturday, July 17, from 9.40am to 11.15am, with the health department classifying the entire Prahran Market as a tier 1 exposure site.
Qantas workers have been warned their jobs are on thin ice if nationwide border closures and lockdowns continue.
Airline boss Alan Joyce sent an email to staff highlighting “frustratingly familiar challenges” for his team.
More than 14 million Australians are in lockdown, with hard stay-at-home measures in place across Victoria, NSW and South Australia as Covid-19 outbreaks continue to balloon.
“We’re not at the point of requiring stand-downs in our domestic operations at this stage,” Mr Joyce wrote.
“But to be honest, we can’t rule it out if multiple states keep their borders closed for extended periods.”
NSW Health has released more venues of concern, with a supermarket and kitchen factory on alert after employees worked while infectious over multiple days.
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:
Smithfield, All Parts Auto – Wednesday July 14 from 8.15am – 9.5am
Campsie, Ton Li Supermarket – Thursday July 15 from 8.45am – 7.45pm, Friday July 16 from 8.45am 7.45pm and Saturday July 17 from 8.45am – 7.45pm
Lakemba, Exim Supermarket – Monday July 18 from 8.50pm – 9.10pm
Lakemba, Chemist Warehouse – Saturday July 17 from 4.30pm – 4.40pm and Monday July 19 from 3.10pm – 3.25pm
Lakemba, Traboulsi Bakery – Monday July 19 from 3.30pm – 3.45pm
Marrickville, Durable Kitchens Factory – Tuesday July 13 from 7.30am – 4pm, Wednesday July 14 from 9.55am – 4pm, Thursday July 15 from 8.55am – 7pm and Friday july 16 from 7.30am – 7pm
Alexandria, Mercedes Benz Sydney – Wednesay July 14 from 11.25am – 11.50am
Belrose, Woolworths Glenrose Village – Tuesday July 20 from 7am – 2.30pm and Wednesday July 21 from 7am – 1.30pm
Belrose, Three Beans Cafe, Glenrose Village – Monday July 19 from 6.50am – 7am, Tuesday July 20 from 6.50am – 7am and Wednesday July 21 from 6.50 – 7am
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has said "young people" can get vaccinated with AstraZeneca "right now".
Talking to Triple J's Hack program, Mr Morrison said young people will have access to the Pfizer vaccine in September.
“Right now, the AstraZeneca vaccine is approved by the TGA,” he said.
The prime minister has admitted to being "not happy" with how the vaccine rollout has been going, saying it was impacted by three million doses "not appearing" from overseas and the ATAGI advice on young people not getting AstraZeneca.
“We are two months behind where we hoped to be, where we planned to be,” he says.
“I’m not happy with where we are right now. That’s why we turned it around in the last couple of months, that’s why I brought in Lieutenant General John Frewen.”
Centrelink office added to SA list of exposure sites
A busy Centrelink office in Adelaide’s northeast is one of the newest locations added to the growing Covid-19 exposure site list in South Australia.
Authorities are urging all customers and front-door staff who were at the Modbury premises on Friday, July 9, from midday to 2pm to immediately isolate for 14 days with their household contacts.
Those people are also required to seek immediate testing and be retested on days five and 13.
Some South Australians have been forced to wait up to 12 hours for a Covid-19 test as hundreds of people flock to testing sites.
Footage from a number of locations across metropolitan Adelaide have shown queuing vehicles stretching kilometres from the testing locations as the number of exposure sites continues to grow.
After Eva Smyth received a message from SA Health to be tested late on Tuesday night, she drove the Victoria Park testing site at 4.30am and found a line-up of cars snaked for kilometres.
The 58-year-old then returned home to pick up a blanket and snacks and later drove to Tailem Bend with her 14-year-old dog because she’d heard the line was shorter.
She arrived at about 11.30am on Wednesday and waited until 10.30pm before deciding to leave.
NSW Health officials have quietly launched a pilot COVID-19 Pfizer online booking website for some of its mass vaccine hubs — with bookings available to anyone over the age of 16.
Despite the Department of Health’s federal Vaccine Eligibility Checker continuing to reject mass Pfizer vaccination applications for NSW residents under 39 years, the NSW Health portal is accepting bookings from October 25 onwards.
Pharmacists are supporting the push to distribute AstraZeneca vaccines following the Prime Minister's announcement it is being brought forward to Monday.
Scott Morrison said as a result of the current outbreak, the government is bringing forward the rollout to pharmacies that want to be involved, which was welcomed by National President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia Chris Freeman.
"PSA has been working tirelessly with all governments to secure maximal pharmacist involvement since the vaccine rollout commenced," Associate Professor Freeman said.
"This is the patient-centric approach that Australia has been waiting for – and will expedite completion of the rollout.
"Pharmacists will be able to target those at-risk Australians, particularly the elderly, who remain unvaccinated – negating the need to queue at mass vaccination hubs for extended periods of time."
Covid cases are on the rise in NSW, and the true toll of the virus this year has been revealed, with almost 4000 Australians dying from the virus in 2023.
