Almost 20 people linked to a special needs school in Sydney's north have caught COVID-19, including students with severe autism.
NSW Health has uncovered 18 cases associated with the Giant Steps special education school in Gladesville including three staff, seven students and eight family members.
A NSW Health spokesperson said the first cases were diagnosed on August 5 and the school had been closed, with families and staff members isolating.
"NSW Health takes proactive steps to contact all close contacts of the case, to give advice on testing, isolation, symptoms to be aware of, and their level of risk," the spokesperson said in a statement.
It comes after a COVID-positive person attended a vaccination hub at Qudos Bank Arena, currently being used for western Sydney's Year 12 students. The arena is a casual contact site on the afternoon of August 10.
Meanwhile, NSW Health officials are "very concerned" about the potential spread of COVID-19 among vulnerable regional communities, with the majority of new cases in Dubbo and Walgett diagnosed in Aboriginal people.
Five cases have been recorded in Dubbo in the past three days, along with another case in western NSW. They include an Aboriginal man from Walgett.
The cases led the state government to call a one-week snap lockdown for the Walgett, Dubbo, Bogan, Bourke, Brewarrina, Coonamble, Gilgandra, Narromine and Warren areas on Wednesday.
Non-urgent elective surgery has been suspended in Dubbo.
Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt on Thursday confirmed an additional 7680 Pfizer vaccines will be provided for the affected areas, including Walgett.
Mr Hunt said extra AstraZeneca vaccines would also be made available in what is a "whole of government" effort to protect those communities.
Western Local Health District Chief Executive Scott McLachlan confirmed the "vast majority" of those cases were in Aboriginal people, including children.
The number of cases in the region is expected to grow significantly in the coming days, Mr McLachlan said.
Fuelling concern is a combination of significant Indigenous populations, low vaccination rates and relatively poor health services.
Nearly 30 per cent of people in the Walgett LGA are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, and Dubbo also has a significant Indigenous population.
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard on Thursday acknowledged there had been problems delivering adequate vaccine supplies to Walgett. He said there was strong demand for Pfizer in those communities.
"By far the majority of Aboriginal people in that section of our state have not received the vaccine," he said.
The Dharriwaa Elders Group at Walgett issued an urgent request on Thursday evening for more trained nurses to support Aboriginal Medical Services.
Mr Hazzard admitted those services were understaffed.
Elsewhere in regional NSW, the lockdown of the Hunter and New England region has been extended by another week after 24 new local cases.
NSW recorded 345 new local cases across the state in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday, with at least 91 in the community while infectious.
However the state looks set to break through the 50 per cent mark for first-dose vaccine coverage by week's end.
Unions NSW on Friday called on National Cabinet to introduce paid isolation and COVID-19 testing leave for all Australian workers. In Victoria, workers who need to get tested and isolate are eligible for a $450 payment.
Local Government NSW also said in a statement on Friday that the government had agreed to provide financial support to the sector and its workers, including the reinstatement of a council job retention allowance.
This would provide $1500 a fortnight to stood-down council workers.
