HEALTH authorities say that a Windale resident testing positive for COVID after travelling to Sydney's Blacktown was "of great concern" as the state's outbreak again soared to record daily cases.
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Four new cases have been recorded in the Hunter New England health district, the state government has confirmed.
There was one fresh case on the Central Coast in addition to the four Hunter cases which were spread across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Port Stephens.
All the fresh cases are linked and only the Windale case was infectious in the community.
The Lake Macquarie case "contracted their illness after travelling to Sydney and is not linked to the Costco cluster", the health district said in a statement.
An apartment block at Windale and Gorokan High School were closed overnight due to positive cases.
Hunter New England Health said anyone who visited the Lake Macquarie apartments on James Street between Friday, August 20 and Tuesday, August 24 inclusive had to get tested and isolate until they receive a negative test.
More than 700 people are in isolation as close contacts throughout the region.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the state recorded 919 cases and two deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, a spike after daily numbers drooped to 753 on Tuesday.
Hunter New England Health said the fresh crop includes cases at North Rothbury, Windale, Wallsend and Raymond Terrace.
Public health physician Dr David Durrheim said contact tracers were working with police to identify any community risk.
"Three of those cases were doing the right thing," Hunter New England Health
"The fourth case unfortunately travelled down to Blacktown and was infected in Blacktown in Sydney, and travelled back to Windale."
"This is a case of great concern.
"While we figure out exactly or who may have been exposed, this is a very good time to consider getting tested."
Deputy premier John Barilaro said that while the Hunter is getting better, the region "still has cases" as circumstances other regional areas deteriorate.
"The government and the crisis committee will be considering what happens beyond Saturday," he said.
"We haven't made a decision about what happens in regional or rural areas.
"Like last week, we'll make that decision sooner rather than later and give people plenty of notice."
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There are now 114 active cases in the region and 31 people in hospital due to the virus.
The death of a woman in her 30s will be investigated by the coroner at her home in Sydney's west. A man in his 80s from Sydney's north died in hospital.
The man had been vaccinated but had "significant underlying health issues", NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said. She said she did not want to go into the details of the woman's death as the hospital was examining them.
Testing is urgent in Bateau Bay, Toukley and Merimbula after sewage detection despite an absence of known cases in those areas.
Cases continue to climb in the state's west, which deputy premier
More than 125,000 people were vaccinated, helping the state's tally rise well beyond the premier's initial 6 million target for August.
"We now have 6.1 million jabs delivered in NSW and almost one third of our population is vaccinated," she said.
The positive case is isolating off-site, the health district said.
Doctors have also flagged concerns about the pressure mounting on the state's health system ahead of a return to normal operations, dealing with its backlog and COVID presenting an "extra layer of very, sick, infectious patients" even beyond high vaccination rates.
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