NSW announces a record 633 new local coronavirus cases and three deaths

New South Wales has registered a record 633 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and three new deaths – but Premier Gladys Berejiklian is warning the state still hasn’t seen “the worst of it” yet.

Of the new infections recorded to 8pm Tuesday, at least 62 were infectious in the community and the isolation status of 447 remains under investigation.

Ms Berejiklian said 550 of the new cases were from the COVID-stricken southwestern and Western Sydney areas in hard lockdowns.

The new caseload came from 102,749 tests, and brings the total number of locally acquired cases reported since the latest outbreak began in mid-June to 9,280.

The new deaths included a male in his late 60s and two males in their late 70s.

NSW’s previous daily high for new COVID-19 cases was 478, reported on Monday. The state registered 452 new infections on Tuesday.

Ms Berejiklian said on Wednesday the situation was likely to get worse before it gets better.

“What the data is telling us in the last few days is that we haven’t seen the worst of it,” she told reporters in Sydney.

“According to the data we have every person who has the virus spreading it to at least more than one person.”

The Premier rejected suggestions that harsher restrictions akin to those in Melbourne were needed, saying the lockdown was appropriate and extremely strict.

She maintains that a lack of compliance is the issue.

“In one day alone, more than 400 people police know of across the state … left their house for the wrong reason,” she said.

“You can have the strictest rules in place … Delta leaves no room for anybody doing the wrong thing.”

Twenty-three new cases have been recorded in western NSW.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro said 17 of those were in Dubbo, with the remainder in Mudgee, Narromine and Gilgandra.

Young people living in Sydney’s worst COVID-hit areas can now book to get a Pfizer jab during a two-week vaccination blitz designed to drive down transmission in those hotspots.

Those aged 16 to 39 living in the 12 local government areas of concern will be given priority access to the Pfizer vaccine at NSW Health clinics from Thursday.

Ten government vaccination clinics have ramped up their capacity to deliver the additional 530,000 doses provided by the federal government to the priority group over the next two-and-a-half weeks.