UPDATE: NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant condemned Sydney people travelling to Albury to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
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Dr Chant said the intent of the exemption allowing this was to improve vaccine access among residents of adjacent areas.
A reporter told Dr Chant about an example of a Sydneysider visiting Albury for this purpose.
"I'm just appalled that people would think at this point in time that that's OK and also it's taking vaccines off people in Albury which I also don't agree with," she said.
"There is plenty of access to vaccine in Sydney and I don't see that that's a reasonable reason to travel many hours for that.
"If you can provide the details of that, I'd be happy to get police to follow up with that case."
The source of infection for 229 of the new NSW COVID-19 cases is not yet known.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said NSW recorded 344 new locally-acquired cases to 8pm Tuesday, at least 65 infectious in the community for all or most of their infectious period.
"The last few days we have seen a surge in the number of cases and we expect that to continue," she said on Wednesday morning, noting there had been a decline in cases in Fairfield and Canterbury-Bankstown.
"We ask the community to keep at it, to keep going, and to make sure you stick to the rules."
Two people have died in hospital, a man in his 90s and a man in his 30s.
"We do want to stress the man in his 30s did have other conditions as well but not withstanding that, he obviously succumbed to COVID," the Premier said, also expressing sympathies to both men's families.
Tamworth, Armidale and the north coast escaped without fresh cases but Ms Berejiklian said Hunter New England "did not look as positive".
"Unfortunately in the Hunter New England area there were, I believe, 14 new cases overnight," Ms Berejiklian said.
"Hunter does not look like it will come out of lockdown this week, however we'll await the health advice."
The Dubbo local government area will go into a one week lockdown from 1pm Wednesday.
Ms Berejiklian on Tuesday would only say a decision on extending lockdown would be made based on health advice from Dr Chant while NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard flagged potential changes to rules governing movement between Sydney and the regions.
NSW Health said of the new locally acquired cases, 115 were linked to a known case or cluster, with 97 household contacts and 18 close contacts while 229 cases were under investigation.
EARLIER: The NSW government is being urged to introduce vaccine passports after the state experienced another record number of daily COVID-19 cases.
The Committee for Sydney on Wednesday called on the NSW government to enforce vaccine passports to ensure the community can open up safely.
"There is no reason why vaccine passports shouldn't start being used now across industries that are already open, such as in retail settings and essential workplaces," the group's chief executive Ehssan Veiszadeh said in a statement.
Two Dubbo schools have been closed today as COVID-19 cases have confirmed and the region is on alert that a snap lockdown could be coming.
The Department of Health and Human Services said 20 cases had been reported in the 24 hours to midnight Tuesday, with no new cases acquired overseas.
"Of the 20 new locally-acquired cases, 15 have been linked to current outbreaks and five are still under investigation," the department said on Wednesday morning.
"Fourteen have been in quarantine throughout their infectious periods."
There were 41,571 test results received and 23,811 vaccine doses administered throughout the state.
About a fifth of Murray and Hume residents are fully vaccinated and about half have received their first dose, according to new COVID-19 vaccination data.
The Federal Government released a second data report on August 8 outlining COVID-19 vaccination rates of people aged 15 years and above around the country, after the first one came out on August 1.
MORE COVID NEWS:
Melburnians are facing an anxious wait for a decision on when the city's sixth lockdown might lift while further north Cairns residents will learn if they'll escape a snap lockdown sparked by two cases in the far north Queensland city.
Late on Tuesday night the health department said a confirmed case of COVID-19 had been found to be connected to a Melbourne paediatric specialist clinic.
Two big Victorian events were cancelled on Tuesday - the AFL Grand Final Parade and the Avalon Airshow.
The exposure site list grew to more than 270, including a second housing tower in Flemington.
IN OTHER NEWS:
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Matt Carr
Matt began his Newcastle Herald career as a cadet in 2009. He is a Walkley nominated reporter who has covered councils, police and general news rounds across the Upper Hunter, Port Stephens, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Newcastle. Now his focus is on digital storytelling and breaking news.
Matt began his Newcastle Herald career as a cadet in 2009. He is a Walkley nominated reporter who has covered councils, police and general news rounds across the Upper Hunter, Port Stephens, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Newcastle. Now his focus is on digital storytelling and breaking news.
