
NSW reaches a new daily record.
NSW has recorded 319 locally acquired cases of COVID-19 — a new daily high for the state.
The source of 194 of the new cases are still under investigation.
Tragically, the state also recorded five COVID-19 related deaths: a woman in her 80s, two men in their 80s, a man in his 90s, and a man in his 60s. None were vaccinated. The current outbreak of the Delta virus has now claimed a total of 27 lives.
There are currently 345 COVID-19 cases to hospital, with 56 people in intensive care, 23 of whom require ventilation.
There were 108,449 COVID-19 tests reported to 8pm last night.
Of the 319 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night, 112 are from South Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD), 98 are from Western Sydney LHD, 57 are from Sydney LHD, 23 are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, 20 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD -
— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) August 7, 2021
Greater Sydney, including Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas, have been in lockdown since June 26 in an effort to contain the spread of the Delta variant.
With no sign of cases easing, the proposed August 28 end date is looking increasingly tenuous.
Responding to calls for harsher 'circuit breaker' restrictions, the state's health minister, Brad Hazzard, said, "We have the toughest lockdown the country at the present time. What is happening is people are not complying... If people don't comply, the community will continue to suffer."
Minister Hazzard pointed to vaccination rates as the state's "freedom path".
Currently, 50 per cent of the NSW population over 16 has received the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and close to 22 per cent are fully vaccinated.
"We are going up at about 5 per cent per week, so can I say to everybody out there, we're not going to beat this virus unless you get on this journey with us. I want you to book in for vaccination. You can do it through your GP, your pharmacist, at one of the state hubs," he said. "We need you to do that, because that is our freedom a path."