NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said another lockdown was “an option we don’t want to take” in the state.
The statement came as the number of COVID-19 cases linked to the outbreak at the Crossroads Hotel in Casula reached 30.
“Every time we have an outbreak we can’t afford to lockdown, reopen, lockdown, reopen,” Berejiklian told ABC’s 7.30 on Tuesday night.
“That is no way to live and that is no way to be able to install confidence in businesses to keep employing people.
“We have to learn to manage these outbreaks.”
The premier warned that NSW was not going to be “COVID-free” anytime soon, and residents should find a way to “coexist with the virus”.
“There is no way that New South Wales will have zero cases during a pandemic,” she said.
“We were always going to have cases when we’ve eased restrictions and we have to expect that.
“The reason where we’re in especially high alert in New South Wales is also, of course, of what’s happened in Victoria.”
Picton Hotel in southwest Sydney has also been closed after a person with COVID-19 attended the pub three times to use the gaming room.
NSW Health is urging those who visited the Crossroads Hotel between July 3 and 10 to self-isolate for 14 days after their last time there. Patrons are advised to get tested even if they have no symptoms.
Those who return a negative result are also asked to stay in isolation.