A lockdown in regional NSW has been extended by two weeks due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, particularly in the state’s west.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian says concerns remain about the rising number of cases of the virus in western NSW, which is the area of “most concern in regional NSW”, as cases stabilise in other regions.

“Given that acute situation in Dubbo, in particular, the region lockdown will be extended to all of regional NSW until at least midnight, Friday the 10th of September,” she said on Thursday.

Most of regional NSW has been in lockdown for a fortnight. 

It was due to end on Saturday, but Dubbo in the state’s west continues to record numbers of cases and vaccination rates are around six per cent in the vulnerable Indigenous community.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro said it was necessary to extend the lockdown to protect regional communities.

“We’re sitting on a knife-edge. It’s a tinderbox ready to explode,” he said.

He apologised to communities that don’t have any new COVID-19 cases, which will be caught up in the lockdown.

“One of the reasons you may not have cases is because of the restrictions in place, minimising movement, because we know we’re a very interconnected community in regional and rural NSW,” Mr Barilaro said.

“Now is the time to stay united and work to those restrictions.” 

NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant endorsed the extension of the regional lockdown.

“At the moment, with our stretched system, we do not want to be fighting bushfires on multiple fronts,” she said.

“And that’s why I’m so pleased, as well, that we have got the regional lockdown in place for two more weeks  so that we reduce that risk of any (virus) bushfires in the regions.”

Of the record 1029 locally acquired cases reported across the state in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday, 35 were in the Western NSW Local Health District.

There were 71 cases in the Nepean Blue Mountains district, six in the Far West, two in Illawarra Shoalhaven, two on the Central Coast.

There were no new cases in the Hunter New England district.

AAP