NEWCASTLE and Hunter residents have been urged to come forward for testing after a "very high viral load" was detected in the region's sewage.
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"There were very high rates of virus detected in the sewerage in the Hunter area," Ms Berejiklian said.
"The very high viral load suggests there could be undetected cases up around the Hunter area."
NSW recorded 233 new locally acquired cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday. 103 are linked to a known case or cluster, 79 are household contacts and 24 are close contacts.
Chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said health authorities were "very concerned" by the Hunter testing results. She said the detection was from both the Shortland and Burwood waste water plants, as well as a "lower detection" at Belmont.
Birmingham Gardens, Shortland, Maryland, Fletcher, Minmi, Cameron Park, Stockton and Fern Bay were among the suburbs flagged as priorities for testing.
Dr Chant said a full list would be uploaded to the NSW Health website shortly.
Hunter New England Health public health physician Dr David Durrheim said the plants served about 400,000 people in the region.
The test results were on samples taken Monday and came back late on Tuesday night, Dr Durrheim said.
Dr Chant also urged everyone with symptoms to go home immediately after a test, and said testing could help authorities determine what was behind the result.
A man in his 20s died at his home in Sydney on Tuesday evening, which Ms Berejiklian said "demonstrates again how this disease is lethal and affects people of all ages".
The man had not received any dose of any vaccine.
"As we understand it the death happened quite suddenly," Ms Berejiklian said.
"People who are vaccinated are staying out of hospital, are staying out of ICU."
More than 105,000 people were tested in the 24-hour period.
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Hunter residents and the region's MPs have expressed outrage since a flurry of text messages informed roughly 5500 people their booked appointments to receive Pfizer vaccines would not go ahead.
Health authorities advised their doses were among those seconded to Sydney to vaccinate Year 12 students in hot spots so they could complete their exams.
Federal data shows that vaccination rates in parts of the Hunter are languishing, with just one in seven people over the age of 15 vaccinated in the region excluding Newcastle.
The Belmont vaccination hub is also expected to start offering AstraZeneca appointments from Wednesday, Hunter New England Health has advised.
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Matt Carr
Matt began his Newcastle Herald career as a cadet in 2009. He is a Walkley nominated reporter who has covered councils, police and general news rounds across the Upper Hunter, Port Stephens, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Newcastle. Now his focus is on digital storytelling and breaking news.
Matt began his Newcastle Herald career as a cadet in 2009. He is a Walkley nominated reporter who has covered councils, police and general news rounds across the Upper Hunter, Port Stephens, Maitland, Lake Macquarie, Cessnock and Newcastle. Now his focus is on digital storytelling and breaking news.
