Armidale coronavirus lockdown extended by a week as state records 466 new cases of COVID-19

Premier Berejiklian announced the extension of the city's stay-at-home order at the same time as a new regional travel permit at her 11am press conference on Saturday.

Tamworth recorded no new cases in the Saturday figures.

Armidale was due to leave lockdown at 12.01am on Sunday August 15.

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Armidale's COVID-19 outbreak started when two positive cases were reported last weekend. Stay at home orders came into force at 5pm on Saturday, August 7.

A third case was reported on Sunday, followed by a fourth case on Friday, both from the same family as the first two cases.

No additional cases were reported on Saturday.

The Premier said the Armidale lockdown extension had been advised by NSW Health to make sure there were no undected cases in the city.

Premier Berejiklian also announced strengthened fines for people breaching COVID-19 rules, and a new regional travel permit system.

"Importantly for regional New South Wales, you will need a permit to go into regional New South Wales, whether you are in authorised worker, travelling to a second home because you might be a worker utilising a second home or inspecting real estate, you will need a permit, which will be effective from next Saturday," she said.

The Premier flagged a likely expansion of lockdown restrictions in western NSW to additional local government areas after an additional 26 cases were reported overnight in Dubbo and western NSW.

There were 16 cases in the Hunter New England area. The Premier said while there were no cases in Armidale, health experts had advised to continue the lockdown in that area for a further week.

There were 466 new COVID-19 cases reported in the Saturday figures to 8pm on Friday night, the biggest leap in coronavirus cases in any single day for the pandemic in the state. Four people died of the virus.

Just 76 of the cases were in isolation during their entire infectious period, with 68 infectious in the community.

Some 378 patients with COVID-19 are in hospital, 64 are in intensive care, and 29 require ventilation.

Health authorities conducted 129,352 tests in the 24 hour period.

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