As of 4pm Tuesday, 956 new positive cases of the virus were recorded from the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD), up from 562 the previous Tuesday.

With 74 staff unable to work due to COVID-related isolation, the local health district has pleaded with the public not to head to the emergency department as first point of call.

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"Hospitals and emergency departments across the [district] remain under significant pressure due to high community rates of COVID-19, influenza, and increasing numbers of unwell patients with chronic conditions exacerbated by the colder weather," a spokeswoman said.

"We ask that our community considers alternative options to the ED for minor conditions. These options include medical centres or GPs, the Urgent Care Centre at Bulli Hospital, pharmacies or calling HealthDirect on 1800 022 222; a 24-hour telephone health advice line staffed by registered nurses who provide fast and simple expert advice."

Labour's health spokesman and Member for Keira, Ryan Park, said emergency departments were at a crisis point across the state which is beyond anything we've seen in recent years.

"We have very very sick patients, at times critically ill patients waiting in chairs in emergency departments because they can't get beds," Mr Park said.

"We've got ambulances waiting hours on end, parked out the front of hospitals because of bed block."

He said there were many solutions that were need to fix a multifaceted problem.

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"We Have to try and increase the availability of GPs," he said. "We need to get people to places like Bulli more before they go to ED ... the other end of it is adequate staffing which has been a huge problem in our hospitals."

Mr Park has been visiting the region's emergency departments along with Member for Wollongong Paul Scully and as a result heard from various people in the community who were suffering.

"Patients who have had long wait times, patients who have decided to leave and go elsewhere, from staff who are over-stretched and paramedics who are frustrated a relatively small proportion of calls are actually emergencies which are also clogging up the system," Mr Scully said.

"Staffing pressures have been building for some time at Wollongong Hospital ...the resourcing allocation for the city and the local health district hasn't been keeping pace with the growth in population.."

The Australian Medical Association said they were aware of the bigger picture of constraints on the health system, including doctor shortages, and on Wendesday asked people to wear masks again in indoor settings.

"Many GPs have left practice or retired early because the costs of running a practice are not being adequately offset by the Medicare rebate ... and fewer doctors-in-training are choosing general practice as a career," said Michael Bonning, AMA (NSW) President.

"Given the current constraints across the health system, we urge residents to protect themselves by wearing a mask, getting a booster, and practicing hand hygiene and safe distancing. Patients are also urged to plan the healthcare that is predictable and look for options such as seeing another doctor in their regular practice if necessary."

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