The news is a potential setback to any hopes of a border reopening with Queensland in early November, with the state issuing a 48-hour deadline for contact tracers to find the source of the mystery infections.
One of the newly confirmed cases attended Ripples restaurant in Milsons Point on Saturday October 3 from 8pm to 10.30pm.
Health authorities say that the details of a small number of walk-in diners at the restaurant during this time were not recorded.
All patrons who were inside the Ripples during this time are considered close contacts and must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days since they were there, and stay isolated for the entire period, even if a negative test result is received.
The Mazda Artarmon repair centre has also been added to the danger list.
Anyone who visited the site between 7.30am and 9.30am on Friday October 2 are considered casual contacts and should immediately isolate and get tested if they develop the slightest symptoms of COVID-19.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she had instructed the contact tracing team to “do your job, do your best” and ignore the commentary as Queensland’s deadline looms.
“I believe our health experts have made good progress,” Ms Berejiklian told Today.
“I’ve had some positive news overnight. But I also do anticipate the number of community cases will go up today simply because when you identify new individuals with the virus, often their families or the people living in their household hadn’t had enough time or notice to take action and often you will find they will get it as well.”
“(Our) contact tracers are the best in the Australia. If there’s a link to be found, they will find it.”
As for the likelihood Queensland will extend its border ban with NSW past the proposed November 1 reopening, Ms Berejiklian accused Annastacia Palaszczuk of constantly changing the rules.
“I just think it’s a concern that every time NSW expresses our view on what should be done in the pandemic, the Queensland government keeps changing the goalposts,” she said.
“I’ve never heard of this rule where you have to have two days to make sure you link your cases to an existing case. I mean, that’s just something they plucked out of nowhere. I’ve never heard that advice before.
“I’m not going to waste my time trying to change is what clearly is a predetermined position.
“Because they keep changing the rules on us.”
Dr Jeremy McAnulty said “painstaking interviews” are underway as the contact tracing team works to track down the movements of people linked to these locations.
The aim is to “stop onward transmission” and find out how they contracted the virus.
“It does take time to get that information,” Dr McAnulty told Today.
“They may well be connected to existing, known clusters.”
The incubation period was 14-days, he said, stressing “the important message here is testing, testing, testing”.
“If you have even a mild sniffle or sore throat or feeling unwell or shortness of breath, don’t hesitate to go and get tested because if you don’t get tested, we won’t identify cases and won’t be able to control further spread.
“If you delay testing, that means every day you are not tested is an extra day you might be exposing people.”
As for customers who did not have their details recorded at Ripples, Dr McAnulty said COVID-Safe regulations were in place to keep everyone safe.
“We’ve got a whole bunch of rules that are there for a really good purpose – it’s not just testing and contact tracing and investigations we need to do.
“I always assume the person near me might have coronavirus, so I keep 1.5m between me and that person, it provides a safety net.”
Authorities yesterday issued public health alerts for seven different locations after the state recorded its first new coronavirus cases of community transmission in 12 days in three locally acquired infections.
The three new coronavirus cases appear to be unconnected.