Two Illawarra residents with COVID-19 have died at Wollongong Hospital, health authorities have confirmed, bringing the number of local deaths during this outbreak to three.
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They were a woman in her 80s from Wollongong and a man in his 70s from Kiama, both of whom chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said had underlying health conditions.
The woman had received two doses of the COVID vaccine, while the man had received one.
They were among five COVID-related deaths reported on Wednesday.
Another Wollongong woman aged in her 80s died earlier this week, while a Sydney woman died at Wollongong Hospital last month.
NSW has recorded 1035 new locally acquired COVID cases, including 62 in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.
There are 34 new cases in Wollongong, 20 in Shellharbour, five in Kiama, and three in Shoalhaven.
Of these, 15 in Wollongong, eight in Shellharbour and one in Shoalhaven are linked to known cases, while investigations continue into the remaining 38.
On Wednesday, chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant specifically called on residents of the Illawarra to come forward for testing and vaccination because of high case numbers.
There are 26 residents of the local health district in hospital with COVID.
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They are among 1232 COVID patients across the state, 242 of whom are in intensive care and 122 of whom need ventilation.
Meanwhile, NSW's deputy chief health officer has now officially put Piccadilly Motor Inn in Wollongong's Crown Street into lockdown.
Occupants have already been in isolation for days but a declaration that the site is a "high risk COVID-19 premises", signed by Dr Marianne Gale, came into force at 10.30am on Wednesday.
This brings in tighter restrictions, limits movement even further and extends the isolation period.
Three people have tested positive for COVID, and the document said another 31 rooms at the premises had an occupant deemed to be a close contact of a COVID case. The motor inn contains 35 rooms in total.
The declaration is in effect for 14 days, until October 6.
Residents of the building have been under a multi-agency response that has included health services and police since Saturday, September 18.
An apartment building in Keira Street, which includes emergency accommodation for people experiencing homelessness, was declared a high-risk premises and locked down last Friday, September 17.
Eleven cases have been detected in that complex.
NSW Health has also opened another testing clinic to meet demand in Wollongong, this time at Bellambi.
The drive-through clinic at Holy Spirit College in Cawley Street will be open 8am to 5pm every day of the week.
On Wednesday, Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello said the government aimed to pilot its new Service NSW app that would contain residents' COVID vaccination certificate in regional areas for two weeks from October 6.
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