NSW recorded 1,029 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Of these locally acquired cases, 185 are linked to a known case or cluster – 160 are household contacts and 25 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 844 cases is under investigation.

Ninety-one were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 33 were in isolation for part of their infectious period. Sixty-one cases were infectious in the community, and the isolation status of 844 cases remains under investigation.

Five new cases were acquired overseas in the 24 hours to 8pm last night and 18 previously reported cases have been excluded following further investigation. The total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic is 21,282.

Sadly, NSW Health is reporting the recent deaths of three people who had COVID-19.

Three men who were being cared for in the community in western Sydney died at their homes – a man in his 30s, a man in his 60s, and a man in his 80s.

NSW Health extends its deepest sympathies to their loved ones.

This brings the number of COVID-related deaths to 79 since 16 June 2021, and the number of lives lost to 135 since the beginning of the pandemic.

There have been 15,684 locally acquired cases reported since 16 June 2021, when the first case in this outbreak was reported.   

There are currently 698 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 116 people in intensive care, 43 of whom require ventilation.

There were 151,272 COVID-19 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day's total of 149,252.

NSW Health administered 51,232 COVID-19 vaccines in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, including 11,754 at the vaccination centre at Sydney Olympic Park.

The total number of vaccines administered in NSW is now 6,280,700, with 2,304,017 doses administered by NSW Health to 8pm last night and 3,976,683 administered by the GP network and other providers to 11:59pm on Tuesday 24 August 2021.

Of the 1,029 locally acquired cases reported to 8pm last night, 403 are from Western Sydney Local Health District (LHD), 309 are from South Western Sydney LHD, 112 are from Sydney LHD, 71 are from Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, 35 are from Western NSW LHD, 57 are from South Eastern Sydney LHD, 17 are from Northern Sydney LHD, six are from Far West LHD, two are from Illawarra Shoalhaven LHD, two are from Central Coast LHD, no new cases for Hunter New England LHD and 15 cases are yet to be assigned to an LHD.

Across the Western NSW Local Health District there have been 35 new cases of COVID-19 reported to 8pm last night. People in the affected areas throughout Western NSW need to be extremely vigilant and get tested at the first sign of symptoms.

Due to ongoing concerns about community transmission, stay-at-home orders in place for regional NSW will be extended by two weeks, until at least 11:59pm on 10 September, in line with existing orders for the Greater Sydney area.

Everyone must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave. They also cannot have visitors in their home from outside their household, including family and friends.

NSW Health's ongoing sewage surveillance program has recently detected fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 at the sewage treatment plants in Tamworth, Merimbula, Cooma and Brewarrina.

The Tamworth sewage treatment plant serves approximately 45,000 people and the Merimbula sewage treatment plant serves 15,000 people. The Cooma sewage treatment plant serves approximately 8,000 people and the Brewarrina sewage treatment plant serves 1,100 people.

These detections are a concern as there are no known cases in these areas.

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