The military will play an increasing role in the nation's enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions as NSW enters statewide lockdown and concerns for unvaccinated Indigenous Australians continue.
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NSW reported a record 466 new cases and four deaths on Saturday morning, along with the announcement an additional 500 Defence personnel would hit the streets next week.
Hours later, news broke that stay-at-home orders would be extended for all of the state's regions from 5pm.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro took to Twitter to say the measures were "to minimise movement and protect our communities from the evolving COVID situation in Sydney".
Defence personnel have already been assigned to NSW and Victoria to assist police with enforcement duties.
The additional troops to be deployed in the premier state will join 300 already in place and be part of an enhanced random checkpoint system.
With concern around the western NSW centre of Dubbo adding a fresh exposure site early on Saturday, federal Labor health spokesman Mark Butler lashed Prime Minister Scott Morrison for presiding over the slowest vaccine rollout in a developed nation.
While the rising numbers in western Sydney were deeply concerning, Mr Butler said Indigenous Australians had been promised full vaccination by the onset of winter.
Yet in western NSW only eight per cent of vulnerable Indigenous Australians, many with underlying health conditions, had received both doses.
Mr Morrison has meanwhile pleaded with Australians to do right by their neighbours and abide by restrictions.
The prime minister and premiers on Friday discussed concerns about the Sydney outbreak, which has now seeded Delta outbreaks in other states and territories as well as NSW regions.
"We saw the cases up in northern NSW where someone just doesn't comply - look at the damage that causes," he said.
"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 Police will also step up enforcement measures from Monday.
"The movement particularly in greater Sydney was way too high from our perspective in terms of what we were trying to achieve," Commissioner Mick Fuller said on Saturday.
Residents in all Greater Sydney local government areas are now subject to a 5km travel limit from homes and on-the-spot fines have been increased to several thousands of dollars to deter people from breaking the rules.
As NSW surpassed its highest number of new cases in a single day, Victoria posted 21 fresh infections, Queensland six and the ACT one.
The Tourism sector's peak industry group has pleaded for the reinstatement of Jobkeeper, saying another 150,000 jobs are at risk by the end of September.
New data shows the industry losing $5.8 billion in domestic tourism each month due to lockdowns on top of losing the international market from April 2020.
"The losses continue to mount at a rapid pace with almost $7 billion wiped off tourism spend over the December - January peak holiday period, another $1.8 billion over the Easter School Holidays and the July winter school holidays decimated to the tune of $6.3 billion," Tourism and Transport Forum CEO Margy Osmond said in a statement.
Governments have agreed to start easing restrictions from a vaccination rate of 70 per cent and all but end lockdowns from 80 per cent.
Australian Associated Press
