New South Wales set a new record for daily COVID-19 infections with 830 cases reported in the 24 hours until 8pm Saturday.
The tally is five cases more than the previous highest figure recorded yesterday in NSW of 825 - the highest single-day total in an Australian state or territory.
The death toll from the current outbreak now stands at 71, with three more fatalities recorded in the last 24 hours.
"To each of those peoples' families, I want to express my condolences to them," Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.
The deaths were of a man in his 60s, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 80s - none were fully vaccinated.
At least 69 cases were in the community for whole or part of their infectious period. NSW Health said 693 cases have yet to be linked to a known case or cluster.
The hospital system is treating 550 people for COVID-19, with 94 people in ICU.
"The hospital capacity is still substantial," Mr Hazzard said. "We're nowhere near that point (of being overwhelmed)."
He said the case numbers reflect what happened 14 days ago, which will inform how the COVID-19 restrictions will be managed.
"We just need everybody to go back to basics and the basics are this virus can only move from one person to another if you are in close proximity."
Eighty per cent of the new cases were from the local government areas of concern in western and south-western Sydney.
NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Gary Worboys condemned anti-lockdown protesters who gathered in Sydney's CBD yesterday.
He said the deployment of 1,500 officers and roadblocks ensured the gathering was limited from turning into a large-scale protest.
He warned protesters against any further gatherings.
"Nothing surprises us about what these sorts of people may be planning and we are well in front of it. New South Wales Police force will put together a policing response to whatever is required."
NSW Police arrested 47 people and fined more than 260 in relation to protests across the state. They issued 137 tickets after stopping around 38,000 cars approaching the city.
Deputy Commissioner Worboys warned that police officers would be stringently enforcing the 9pm curfew coming into effect tomorrow night.
"What we have found in some of those LGA is in south-west and western Sydney, that there is still a desire... surrounding young men wanting to leave their home and go about various engagements and activities through all hours of the night and this curfew will signal that this is the time to stop that sort of behaviour."
An illegal party in the beachside suburb of Maroubra held last weekend has led at least 16 revellers to test positive, plus some of their contacts.
The state also processed a record of more than 206,000 tests, as labs caught up on a backlog of about 60,000 results.
NSW deputy chief health officer Dr Marianne Gale said teams are working to clear the backlog.
“Our teams have been working to catch up on the backlog of negative tests and getting that into the system. That backlog has not affected any positive results. They have all come through a separate mechanism," she said.
The total number of vaccines administered in NSW is now 5,868,974. At least 57 per cent of the adult population in the state has received one vaccine dose. Thirty per cent are fully vaccinated.
"If our community keeps getting their vaccines the way they are, New South Wales will look pretty good by October, November," Mr Hazzard said.
"I'm really encouraged by the positivity in the community in getting vaccinated."
Lockdown settings will remain in place in regional NSW until at least August 28 and in Greater Sydney until at least September 30.
Additional reporting: AAP
SBS is providing live translations of daily New South Wales and Victoria COVID-19 press conferences in various languages. .
