REGIONAL lockdown will continue until midnight September 10, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has confirmed as NSW cases hit four figures in Thursday's update.
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NSW Health said the Hunter had escaped fresh cases despite a Windale exposure "of great concern".
The Central Coast added two new cases.
"Donut day - well done, Hunter New England community," Hunter New England Health public health physician Dr David Durrheim said.
"It's been a great effort so far, but we're not through this battle just yet."
A sewage detection in Tamworth "has come as a big surprise", Dr Durrheim said, with no known cases there.
While he said that the Hunter results were pleasing and "we've done a good job there", NSW deputy premier John Barilaro said the fight was far from over.
"We are on a knife edge in regional NSW," Mr Barilaro said.
"The decision to extend the lockdown is one to protect the regions and protect communities.
"Now is the time to stay united."
The Hunter's first "donut day" since the outbreak began means there are 110 active cases in the health district, with 700 close contacts in isolation.
31 are in hospital and none require intensive care.
The good news for the region comes against an unwanted milestone for NSW: the first day where fresh cases topped 1000.
NSW detected 1029 cases in NSW, with three deaths in Sydney recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday.
The deaths included a man in his 30s, a man in his 60s, and a man in his 80s.
"Unfortunately all three were unvaccinated," Ms Berejiklian said.
Dr Kerry Chant said there had been "some deterioration" in metrics used to model what case numbers would be, indicating case numbers could keep rising.
"It is critical that the people of southwestern Sydney and western Sydney are afforded every opportunity to take up the vaccines as quickly as possible," she said.
"We also need everyone to do the right thing ... we cannot be complacent anywhere.
She said she was pleased the regional lockdown extended, preventing additional "bushfires" of cases.
"We do not want to be fighting additional bushfires on multiple fronts," she said.
Thursday's update took the number of cases in hospital to 698, with 116 people in intensive care and 43 on ventilators across NSW.
Of the fresh cases, NSW Health said 91 were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 33 were in isolation for part of their infectious period.
61 cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of 844 cases remains under investigation.
Ms Berejiklian said the government would offer its schools plan on Friday, but from September 13 that local government areas of concern in Sydney would be offered an hour of recreation on top of their hour of exercise - if they were vaccinated.
"A family will be able to go out and sit in the park, as long as the adults are vaccinated," Ms Berejiklian said.
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Outside those areas, five people from the same LGA can gather outdoors as long as all adults are vaccinated from September 13.
Ms Berejiklian said the concessions were "balanced and measured" on the basis of health advice.
"That five can include children, but as long as it's adults all of them will need to be vaccinated," Ms Berejiklian said.
"No-one from outside the household anywhere in the state, is allowed in a household.
"We know that people coming together is what people miss the most."
Dr Kerry Chant described the change as "baby steps" given the risk continued in most areas, and said she held out hope that Australia could be the "high score for the world" in terms of vaccination rates.
The Sydney local government areas comprise 80 per cent of cases, Ms Berejiklian said, and urged people in those areas to adhere to the health advice.
"As far as western NSW is concerned we have seen obviously the concern level there continue ... however there has been a stabilisation of cases across the regions with the exception of western NSW."
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