NSW records 177 cases of COVID-19 as lockdown extended

Greater Sydney's lockdown will be extended until at least the end of August, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed.

"NSW or Greater Sydney will be in lockdown for a further four weeks until the 28 August, includes Greater Sydney, Wollongong, the Blue Mountains," she said at the media brifing this morning.

The current stay-at-home orders affecting Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour would be extended for four weeks, until 12:01am on Saturday, August 28.

NSW has reported 177 new local COVID-19 cases, a record daily case total for Sydney’s outbreak. A total of 46 were infectious in the community, while 22 were in isolation for only part of their infectious period. Another person has died, the eleventh COVID-19 related death during the outbreak.

Two new Sydney LGAs will also face harsh new restrictions as the city's virus epicentre shifts.  The local government areas (LGAs) of Parramatta, Campbelltown and Georges River have also joined a growing list of areas subjected to an Authorised Workers Order. The restrictions already applied to Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool, Cumberland and Blacktown. Only authorised workers in these areas may leave their LGA for work.

Authorised workers must get COVID-19 tests every three days but due to declining infections in Fairfield, only aged care and health workers in this area must get tested every 72 hours.

The Premier has given a grim warning to those who continue to visit family members outside their own household.

She said those who think they're doing their relatives a favour by dropping by could actually be signing their "death sentence".

She gave the example of a funeral which resulted in 45 out of 50 attendees later testing positive.

“you might think you are doing your grandmother or your aunt a favour by dropping in and giving them food or going into say hello, but that could be that death sentence," she said.

Ms Berejiklian also indicated further financial support for NSW residents and businesses. The Premier said the Prime Minister would make an announcement about further support for individuals who’ve lost work, later today.

The NSW government will expand its Jobsaver program, which provides weekly payments for businesses suffering a downturn of 30 per cent or more.

The threshold for eligible businesses will lift from $50 million to $250 million, which Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said would double the number of eligible businesses to 460,000.