New South Wales has reported 98 local coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, with a slight decrease in the number of people infectious in the community.
Twenty people had been infectious while out and about, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said, while defending the decision to stop a variety of sectors, including construction, working for at least two weeks.
"The closer we get that number to zero, the sooner we can end the lockdown," Ms Berejiklian said.
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Two-thirds of today's cases were detected in south-west Sydney.
With special celebrations arounds Eid this week, NSW Health is asking families from different houses to not congregate.
Ms Berejiklian said spread between families and in the workplace were the two key environments where transmission needed to be stamped out.
Addressing the controversial construction ban, Ms Berejiklian said government was working with the construction sector on safe ways to go back to work on July 31.
"We can't have people, especially who may not have symptoms, visiting multiple worksites, visiting sites with hundreds of workers and spreading the disease," she said.
"It is a threat that was too great."
The premier did not comment whether the two-week ban could be shortened, following a report earlier this morning the NSW government was on the brink of reversing its decision.
She said thousands of workers from parts of Sydney with "huge cases within them, was not a tenable position".
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said latest data showed the number of exposure sites had been "narrowed" and that people appeared to be reducing mobility.
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Dr Chant said, of today's cases, Fairfield LGA had recorded 47 cases, Canterbury-Bankstown 13 and Liverpool 13.
"The disease burden in those areas is significantly higher," she said.
Lakemba, Punchbowl, Fairfield, Bankstown, Liverpool, Cumberland, Merrylands, Guildford, Wollongong, Blayney, Parkes, Coffs Harbour, Crows Nest, St Leonards, Burradoo, Georges River, Bayside and Sutherland Shire were flagged by Dr Chant as areas of concern where extra testing was needed.
More than 76,000 people were tested for COVID-19 in the past day.
There are currently 82 COVID cases in hospital, with 24 in intensive care.
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Dr Chant pointed out just one person in intensive care had been vaccinated, a patient who had received one dose of AstraZeneca.
"Vaccination is critical," she said.
NSW Health declared tougher lockdown coronavirus measures over the weekend, after too many cases had been infectious while out in the community.
Speaking on 2GB this morning, Ray Hadley suggested changes to the ban on building construction sites, residential and commercial, were being discussed, according to senior NSW government sources.
The ban has been met with outcry from unions and construction businesses.
"There'll be a reversal of this (two-week construction ban), if not today, tomorrow, or the day after," Hadley said.
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https://twitter.com/cokeefe9/status/1416919746864324609He then later clarified officials were working on revisions to construction site safety plans, rather than a full U-turn.
The number of those infectious in the community has floated consistently above 20, with Ms Berejiklian saying she needs that figure close to zero in order to end the lockdown.
The latest restrictions imposed on residents, curtailing mobility and stopping work for many, will take some time to have an effect.
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