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NSW records 145 new local coronavirus cases

New South Wales has recorded 145 new locally-acquired cases of COVID-19 from more than 98,000 tests.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian thanked residents of Sydney’s COVID-struck suburb of Fairfield, praising them for staying home as the Delta variant continues to spread.

“We know they’re the least-mobile area, and they’ve been doing the right thing,” she said. “A huge shout-out to the people in the suburbs in the Fairfield local area.”

Dr Kerry Chant also praised residents of Sydney’s south-west for following the lockdown restrictions.

“Can I just say how proud I am of the communities of southwestern Sydney, who have really been working so hard,” she said.

Dr Chant said family gatherings remains a key factor contributing to rising case numbers. “At this time when we’re responding to such a crisis, it’s really important that people only stay within the household unit, and don’t have any mixing between households,” she said.

She also stressed that getting vaccinated “is part of the answer”, saying it was “quite distressing” how few older people were coming forward to get the AstraZeneca jab.

“Anyone who is over 60 or over 70 should be going to their doctor as a matter of urgency,” she said.

“I can’t stress it enough. I have been vaccinated, my mother-in-law has been vaccinated and my husband has been vaccinated with AstraZeneca. I wouldn’t do that if I didn’t believe it being a good vaccine. I urge everyone to take up the opportunity because that is less scarce supply.”

NSW recorded two COVID-related deaths on Sunday, including a Brazilian national in her 30s with no pre-existing health conditions.

The new figures come amid concerns an illegal anti-lockdown protest that took place in Sydney’s CBD over the weekend could be a “super-spreader event”.

The lockdown for Greater Sydney and four surrounding regions, now in its fifth week, is due to end on Friday but with the highly infectious Delta strain spiralling, there’s no reprieve in sight.

Ms Berejiklian on Monday morning deflected reports the lockdown was likely to extend until mid-September, saying nothing had been decided.

“I wouldn’t come to any conclusions like that,” she told Sydney radio station 2GB.

“I don’t know where that story came from. It certainly wasn’t from me or anybody that’s in the know because we’re still working all that out.”