There are now four licensed venues - and a growing number of shopping precincts - that are linked to the South Western Sydney COVID-19 cluster, which has grown to 34 cases.
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In her morning media update, NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said there were 13 new cases of the virus overnight, 10 of which are linked to the Crossroads Hotel in Casula.
Six of the cases attended the pub, two were close contacts of those who attended and two acquired the infection at the Planet Fitness Gym.
Since 8pm, she said there had been one extra case detected bringing the linked cluster to a total of 34.
Also at the media briefing, NSW Health confirmed the outbreak had been genomically linked to the Melbourne outbreak.
The department's "chief virus detective" Jennie Musto said health workers had found that a number of workers from one workplace - including one man who travelled from Melbourne on June 30 - attended a party at the Crossroads Hotel on July 3.
She said that data and extensive interviews were able to pinpoint that the Casula hotel was the source of the new cluster.
"So as far as we know, this outbreak is well known to us and we've identified all links, at this point in time, but we'll get new cases and we'll have to identify further links with them and for the contacts and get them all to go into isolation as well," she said.
With the outbreak growing daily, Dr Chant said NSW Health was putting together a full list of affected venues on a website, which will list dates and times where any positive cases attended.
New venues, identified since yesterday include the YMCA at Revesby, Western Sydney Leagues Club in Leumeah, Macarthur Tavern in Campbelltown and Woolworths Bowral.
Wests League Club at Leumeah and the Macarthur Tavern in Campbelltown both posted to social media that they had been advised by NSW Health on Tuesday night that patrons who visited their venue had tested positive to the virus.
One patron who attended Macarthur Tavern on Saturday (July 11) between 9pm and midnight, and one who attended the league club at 8pm on Friday as well as between midnight and 2.30 on Sunday morning have tested positive.
This followed the closure earlier this week of Picton Hotel, which is part of the growing outbreak linked to Casula's Crossroads Hotel.
Also on Wednesday morning, Woolworths said worker at the supermarket's Bowral store had tested positive for COVID-19.
However they said the risk of transmission to customers and fellow team members was "low".
"As a food retailer, we already have very high standards of cleaning and hygiene in place. As an extra precautionary measure, the store has been closed overnight for an additional deep clean," the spokesperson said.
"Any customers who shopped in our Bowral store on July 12 and feel unwell in the next two weeks should make contact with NSW Health."
The Woolworths spokesperson said the staff member last worked at Woolworths Bowral on Sunday, July 12 and did not present with any symptoms of illness at the time. The worker is now in self-isolation.
Dr Chant also reminded the public that it was vital that anyone who attended the Crossroads Hotel between July 3 and July 10 self-isolate for 14 days and get tested for COVID-19.
Staff and patrons who attended Planet Fitness between July 4-10 are also considered to be close contacts, and should self isolate for 14 days and seek testing, she said.
She also said it was important that people in other areas of the state not become complacent.
"We've had a very strong focus on the Crossroads Hotel cluster, but it's very important we don't lose sight of the fact that covid could have been introduced in other parts of Syndey," she said.
"This is a stealthy virus and we need to maintain vigilance in other parts of the state. I want you to come forward, if you've got any COVID symptoms, come forward."
She said coastal suburbs and border communities needed to have high rates of testing as they could have had visitors from Victoria.
"In this period we need to be increasingly vigilant," she said, and said she hoped to break testing records to reach 23,000 swabs per day.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard likened the growing outbreak of COVID-19 to a new front of a war.
"When the war time comes back to us it has a bit in last two days, our community steps up," he said, thanking the thousands of people in South Western Sydney who had come forward for testing in the last two days.
Meantime in Victoria, Premier Daniel Andrews announced there had been a further 238 cases detected overnight.
Kate McIlwain
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
For more than a decade, I've helped the Illawarra Mercury set the news agenda across the region. Currently I'm the paper's health reporter - covering the stories of Illawarra workers and residents in the wake of a global pandemic and at a time where our health systems are stretched to the limit.
