NSW records 466 new cases as tough new rules announced

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced the state has recorded 466 new cases in the 24 hours to 8:00pm yesterday, meaning the state has hit its worst day yet.

Four new deaths were also announced today, including a woman in her 40s, bringing the death toll linked to this outbreak to 43. Today’s figure passed yesterday's record 390 cases.

There are now 378 patients with Covid in hospital, with 64 in intensive care, and 29 requiring ventilation. Of those people in ICU, four are in their 20s, six are in their 30s, and seven are in their 40s.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian described today as the "most concerning day" for the state, as she announced there would most likely need to be an extension to areas included in the lockdown.

"Very concerningly, we had 466 cases of community transmission. We are really in an extremely concerning situation," she said.

"At least 60 of the infections were in the community but that is likely to go up given the number of cases under investigation."

Ms Berejiklian has confirmed the strict new rules and heavier fines that will be in place for NSW going forward.

From Monday, 500 extra ADF personnel will be supporting NSW Police, while random checkpoints will be increased on key roads.

Fines will jump from $1000 to $5000 for a range of offences including quarantine breaches, lying on a permit and lying to a contact tracer. The 10 kilometre rule will come down to 5km and Greater Sydney which includes the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour, residents can only exercise or shop 5 kilometres from their homes. There will be $3000 on the spot fines for breaching the two person exercise rule in any way, and for breaching rules and going into regional New South Wales.

The Premier has also predicted NSW would face a difficult two months ahead.

"We will get through this but September and October will be difficult," she said.

"At the end of October we will have 70 per cent double doses of vaccine and by mid November we have two doses at 80 per cent of the vaccine to adults.

"And until that time, September and October will be difficult and the challenge for us is to see how freely and safely our communities can live through September and October and the key to this, however, is not seeing the case numbers escalate.

"I want to foreshadow the most difficult thing for us as a team in New South Wales, for us as citizens of our state, will be living through September and October and keeping everybody safe."