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The NSW government is pondering the further tightening of COVID-19 lockdown settings in Greater Sydney, with the number of new local cases out in the community while infectious remaining stubbornly high.
New rules enforcing COVID-19 testing every three days for Fairfield-based essential workers, meanwhile, have come into effect.
NSW recorded 97 new local virus cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday, with at least 46 out in the community for part or all of their infectious period.
The outbreak has passed 1000 cases since it began on June 16.
With the number of cases in the community while infectious failing to slide despite three weeks of lockdown, the NSW government crisis cabinet met on Friday afternoon to consider harsher COVID-19 lockdown settings.
The outcome of that meeting will be revealed on Saturday.
The Australian Medical Association on Friday called for a harder NSW lockdown, including the closure of all non-essential retail and business activity. It also wanted stronger limits on travel distances from home.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she wouldn't "hesitate to go harder" on restrictions, but only if they had a tangible public health benefit.
She also warned case numbers would likely surge again at the weekend.
"We need to make sure that any decisions we take will have the desired effect of reducing those numbers," Ms Berejiklian told reporters.
Three-quarters of the new recorded cases were recorded in the Fairfield local government area, which has become the epicentre of the outbreak.
From Saturday, essential workers who live in the Fairfield area but work elsewhere will be obliged to take a COVID-19 test every three days. There are currently three 24-hour testing clinics in the council area.
Fairfield-based essential workers who are asymptomatic are permitted to seek COVID-19 testing closer to their place of work, rather than wait in queues.
NSW police handed out 164 enforcement notices on Thursday and gave more than 200 warnings to people breaching the public health orders. Officers would be out in force over the weekend, NSW Police said.
"We will continue to work with the community to achieve compliance, but we will enforce the Health Order where community safety is put at risk," Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon said in a statement.
NSW Health has confirmed a healthcare worker at Liverpool and Campbelltown hospitals returned a positive test to COVID-19, after a patient tested positive. Non-urgent surgery has been postponed at both hospitals.
New exposure sites were on Friday evening issued for several venues, most notably the Woolworths Lennox Shopping Centre in Emu Plains, Service NSW at Liverpool, Coles at Hurstville and a Lakemba butcher.
IKEA at Marsden Park was also listed as an exposure site.
The NSW government said on Friday night anyone travelling to the state from Victoria will be required to follow stay-at-home rules.
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Zac Lomax and Daniel Alvaro's St George Illawarra absence could be extended even longer with the Dragons unsure when they will be able to enter Queensland.
Lomax and Alvaro were the only two of the Dragons' dirty dozen not to sign statements verifying the details of Paul Vaughan's illegal barbecue a fortnight ago.
As a result the NRL refused to release them out of a COVID hold, stopping them from rejoining the Dragons and flying north with the squad.
The duo had been expected to fly up with families this weekend and quarantine separately, however uncertainty around that travel has now left them in limbo.
The Queensland Government are yet to sign off on plans to move players' families north, upsetting several players and staff.
The news has already ruled Benji Marshall out of South Sydney's clash with Canterbury on Sunday, after it was agreed he could spend extra days in Sydney and also fly up with families.
But the implications could be far longer lasting for the Dragons pair, given they will have to spend two weeks away from their team before returning to training and playing.
"They're like a few people. They are stuck in Sydney like the families," Dragons coach Anthony Griffin said.
"I'm not sure where that's at at the moment. It's been a crazy week."
Any prolonged absence would be another blow for the Dragons, who are already stretched for numbers.
Matt Dufty, Tyrrell Fuimaono and Kaide Ellis sat out Friday night's 32-18 loss to Manly, and another three are likely to serve their one-game ban against Gold Coast next week.
Forward Poasa Faamausili could face a suspension for a crusher tackle out of Friday nights match, while Jamayne Taunoa-Brown is only on a three-game deal from the Warriors.
Lomax could also give the Dragons the spark they need out wide, having not played since being injured in early May.
But with one of the hardest runs home of all finals contenders and a missed opportunity against Manly on Friday night, Griffin insisted the club had to move past the barbecue drama.
"I don't think it's a matter of tackling it anymore," Griffin said.
"They have paid a price and as a club we have come together and since we got up here on Wednesday we had a really good week of training.
"The thing that happened at Shellharbour is over, it's been dealt with."
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South Australia will enforce tough border restrictions for Victoria and strengthen local COVID-19 rules as interstate case numbers continue to rise.
From midnight on Thursday, South Australians returning home from Greater Melbourne, Geelong and Bacchus Marsh must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
Returning residents from other parts of Victoria will not have to quarantine but must undergo tests on days one, five and 13.
Victoria is expected to enter a snap lockdown from midnight in an effort to contain the growing outbreak of the Delta variant.
"We don't want lockdowns in South Australia," Premier Steven Marshall told reporters.
"We are very concerned of the transmission which occurred at the MCG and so we need to take action to protect South Australia."
A 70km border bubble will remain in place.
About 150 South Australians must self-quarantine after attending exposure sites in Melbourne, the majority having been to the MCG.
The premier said there had been "a huge amount of movement" across the Victoria-SA border during the school holidays.
Border restrictions on southeast Queensland, including Brisbane, had been due to ease at midnight but will remain in place indefinitely.
NSW and the ACT also remain subject to tough border rules.
From midnight on Thursday, SA will return to stronger local restrictions including limiting private gatherings to 150 people.
Face masks must be worn indoors if venues are above 50 per cent density and at all times in high-risk settings including nursing homes.
Restrictions on dancing and singing will also return.
"We do all of these things to make sure that we don't have a lockdown in South Australia," Mr Marshall said.
"Too many people in South Australia believe that we've mastered the coronavirus ... we cannot be complacent."
SA has so far dodged a local outbreak of the virus after three exposure sites were identified, linked to infected removalists who came into the state from Sydney.
There are 238 people who have been ordered to isolate and get tested after being linked to the exposure sites at Tailem Bend, east of Adelaide.
There were just 25 QR code check-ins at the Tailem Bend sites during the time of concern compared to 76 credit card transactions.
Police Commissioner Grant Stevens said the low use of check-ins was hampering investigations into potential exposure risks.
"CCTV, credit card details, GPS information and other information sources can take days (to receive)," Mr Stevens said.
"I don't know how many times we can keep reinforcing this: QR coding is absolutely critical.
"We know it's a minor inconvenience but it's a small inconvenience at this point in time that can have substantial benefits in locking down an outbreak and preventing South Australia from going into a full lockdown."
All freight drivers crossing into SA must also show proof of a negative coronavirus test undertaken less than 48 hours earlier or alternatively get tested within 24 hours.
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Victoria will enter a five-day lockdown in an effort to contain a growing outbreak of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in the state.
Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the lockdown will begin at 11.59pm on Thursday, with people only able to leave home for five reasons - to shop for food and essential items, provide or receive care, exercise, work or study if they are unable to from home, and to get vaccinated.
Masks will be compulsory indoors and outdoors.
All non-essential retail will close but essential stores like supermarkets, bottle shops and pharmacies will remain open.
Cafes and restaurants will only be able to offer takeaway.
Childcare and kinder will stay open but schools will close, except for a small cohort of students.
The lockdown will end at 11:59pm on Tuesday, though regional Victoria will be able to reopen earlier if it is safe to do so.
Mr Andrews said the state had only one chance to go "hard and fast" to defeat the highly infectious Delta variant.
"I am not prepared to avoid a five-day lockdown now only to find ourselves in a five-week or a five-month lockdown," he told reporters.
It is the fifth lockdown for Victoria since the start of the pandemic and the third in 2021.
It comes after Victoria recorded an additional two new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number in the outbreak to 18.
Of greatest concern to authorities are an adult and a child who tested positive after attending an AFL match between Carlton and Geelong at the MCG on Saturday.
COVID-19 Commander Jeroen Weimar said the cases appear to be linked to an infectious Maribyrnong man who attended the match and was seated in the MCC member's reserve on level 2.
But he said the duo were not known contacts of the infected man and it appeared to be a case of "stranger-to-stranger transmission".
"They were sitting in very different parts of the ground. There's no obvious relationship between them. The interviews and discussions are ongoing," Mr Weimar said.
There are more than 75 exposures sites across Melbourne and regional Victoria, with some 1500 primary close contacts and 5000 secondary contacts self-isolating.
Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien said he was concerned lockdowns were being used as a "first response" rather than a last resort.
"We can't keep going into lockdown every time we get 10 or 12 cases in the community," he said.
Victorian locations where there is a risk you may have been exposed to COVID-19: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/exposure-sites
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