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Scott Morrison says Australians need to do the right thing by their neighbours and abide by COVID-19 restrictions.

The prime minister and premiers on Friday discussed concerns about the Sydney outbreak, which has now seeded Delta outbreaks in regional NSW and other states and territories.

"We saw the cases, up in northern NSW, where someone just doesn't comply - look at the damage that causes," the prime minister told reporters after the national cabinet meeting.

"We've got to do the right thing by each other. We've got to do the right thing by our neighbours, our communities, our city, our country.

"You can do that by following the rules, staying at home, getting vaccinated and getting tested."

NSW chalked up another grim record of 390 new local cases on Friday, while two people died from the disease taking the national toll to 948.

Looking for a silver lining, Australia's Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said vaccinations had lowered the death rates compared with last year's outbreak in Victoria.

"This is clearly our third wave in Australia," he said.

He said Victoria, Queensland and the ACT were experiencing outbreaks of lesser concern.

Professor Kelly believes targeted vaccination and compliance will drive numbers down.

"People need to have hope and patience."

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, whose state recorded seven new local cases, called for a clear containment plan from the NSW government.

"The last thing we want to see is this virus spread north, the virus spread south, and spread across the nation," Ms Palaszczuk said.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has repeatedly urged Ms Berejiklian to erect a "ring of steel" around Sydney to stop the disease escaping the city.

Melbourne recorded 15 new cases including four mystery infections on Friday, the third consecutive day of unlinked transmission.

The ACT is in lockdown until Thursday with six confirmed local cases, including a 14-year-old high school student.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said if her government was advised to do more to restrict people's movement in areas surrounding the ACT and on the south coast she would take action.

But she said it came down to people obeying the rules and getting vaccinated.

"Delta does not leave any room for even one or two people doing the wrong thing," she said.

So far 14.75 million people have received at least one dose, taking the rate of fully vaccinated Australians to 25 per cent.

Governments have agreed to start easing restrictions from a vaccination rate of 70 per cent and all-but ending the need for lockdowns from 80 per cent.

© AAP 2021

Jamie Spears has agreed to step down from his 13-year role as conservator of his daughter Britney's estate, in what the pop star's lawyer calls a major victory.

"We are pleased that Mr Spears and his lawyer have today conceded in a filing that he must be removed," the singer's lawyer Mathew Rosengart said in a statement on Thursday.

Spears, who has controlled much of his daughter's affairs since she suffered a mental health breakdown in 2008, agreed to step aside in court documents filed on Thursday.

The pop star has been seeking for months to remove her father from any say in her life. A court hearing to discuss the matter had been set for late September in Los Angeles.

Rosengart called the decision by Jamie Spears "a major victory for Britney Spears and another step toward justice".

Thursday's court document does not say when Jamie Spears will step down from his role in handling his daughter's $US60 million ($A82 million) estate and says he feels there are no grounds for immediately removing or suspending him.

But it adds: "Even as Mr Spears is the unremitting target of unjustified attacks, he does not believe that a public battle with his daughter over his continuing service as her conservator would be in her best interests."

"Mr Spears intends to work with the court and his daughter's new attorney to prepare for an orderly transition to a new conservator."

Britney Spears, 39, remains under the care of professional Jodi Montgomery, who mangers her medical and personal affairs. The nature of the singer's mental health issues have never been publicly revealed.

Spears spoke out emotionally in June and July against the court-appointed conservatorship, calling it humiliating and abusive and accusing her father of ruining her life. Spears has not performed since 2018 and has said she will not return to the stage while her father retains control over her career.

The singer, who posts frequently on social media, made no immediate reference on Thursday to her father's decision to step aside.

Thursday's court document says Jamie Spears has always had his daughter's best interests at heart and has not coerced her to do anything.

"By her own admission, Ms Spears is strong and stands up for what she wants. Mr Spears has tried to do everything in his power to accommodate Ms Spears' wishes, whether regarding her personal life, family, or career, while fulfilling his duties and obligations as conservator (and) protecting her from others seeking to take advantage of her," the document says.

© RAW 2021

Canberra's coronavirus bubble has burst, with Australia's capital locking down for a week after four local cases were discovered.

ACT health authorities initially revealed a man had spent four days out and about while infectious.

His infection is thought to be from Sydney's outbreak, sparking the ACT's first case in 13 months and a seven-day lockdown from 5pm on Thursday.

Authorities updated their advice just as the lockdown began to announce three more cases, all close contacts of the man.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg acknowledged the ACT's "tough news" in parliament and confirmed federal support would extend to Canberra businesses and individuals.

Parliament House will remain open for MPs and senators who stay in Canberra ahead of the next sitting fortnight scheduled for August 23.

Both houses are rising to coincide with the imposition of local restrictions and the federal government is helping arrange flights for parliamentarians who want to go home.

NSW has told ACT residents to stay away and will impose stay-at-home orders on anyone who was in Canberra since August 5.

The Northern Territory has declared the city a hotspot. Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia's borders were already shut to Canberra.

ACT health authorities are looking into how the man, from the northern suburb of Gungahlin and aged in his 20s, became infected.

It's thought he has the Delta strain currently traversing Australia's eastern seaboard and stretching into western NSW.

He was out and about between Sunday and Wednesday, including at a nightclub, then a church, the Canberra Outlet Centre as well as various other shops and venues.

The man is not believed to be vaccinated because of his age.

Vulnerable ACT residents, such as those with underlying health conditions, and those aged 30 or older are eligible for Pfizer.

The list of exposure sites is expected to grow and people caught up must get tested and quarantine for 14 days.

More than 1000 people are already quarantining after returning from NSW and authorities expect that number to rise significantly.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr told reporters Sydney's spiralling outbreak showed the need to move rapidly with significant restrictions.

"If the thought was that you could somehow have a perfectly sealed Canberra bubble, that was never possible," he said.

Masks will again be mandatory in the ACT, general retail will shut and hospitality venues can only do takeaway.

Schools will move to online learning except for the children of essential workers.

People not required to quarantine can only leave home for essential work, to buy supplies, for one hour of exercise and healthcare including getting a COVID-19 vaccination.

Full vaccination rates in the ACT are sitting at 27.5 per cent and first dose rates at more than 50 per cent.

"That's still nowhere near where we need to be to have much greater confidence around being able to manage outbreaks," Mr Barr said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison told parliament one-quarter of eligible Australians will have been fully vaccinated this week.

© AAP 2021