NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has ramped up the pressure on her interstate counterparts in WA and Queensland, challenging them to fling open their borders for the sake of the nation's prosperity.
A day after she saying that from November 23 NSW will be open to people from every state - as well as New Zealanders - there is still no sign WA and Queensland will relent and open their borders to all comers.
"I hope the announcement we made yesterday encourages both the WA premier and the Queensland premier to follow suit because of the devastating impacts of job losses in March, April, May next year," Ms Berejiklian told ABC TV on Thursday.
"I worry about the June quarter next year unless we take action now.
"Yes, we're all residents of a state but we have a national economy which we all have to support.
"If we don't, the consequences for our citizens will be devastating, not just here in NSW but across everywhere."
She was speaking on a day that NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and Victoria notched up six COVID-free days on the run.
Ms Berejikilian appealed to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and WA Premier Mark McGowan to put the national good first but said "when ... people are very, kind of, set in their ways, it's very difficult to change their course".
"We've got no international students, no international travellers, markets are disrupted.
"We have to rely on each other in Australia to the short and medium term, but you can't when some state premiers are being so stubborn."
NSW Health said while the state had low numbers of locally transmitted COVID cases, the upcoming holiday period would present the challenge of increased social and community gatherings.
"It is very likely that COVID-19 will continue to circulate in the community, including among people with mild symptoms or no symptoms," it said.
NSW Health is urging people to maintain physical distancing, wear a mask on public transport and in places where it's impossible to distance and maintain good hand hygiene.
"NSW Health thanks the community for coming forward to get tested and continues to urge everyone with even the mildest of symptoms to do so, as it allows us to detect cases early and prevent onward transmission," it said.
A recent COVID cluster in southwestern Sydney highlighted the importance of businesses using QR codes so all patrons could be easily contacted, NSW Health said.
It is working with a number of other agencies to provide the Liverpool community and local businesses with extra support to help achieve COVID-safe practices.
