NSW has recorded its first coronavirus death outside Sydney with a patient dying in Orange, taking the state's toll to 10.
The latest death takes the Australia-wide tally to 21 and comes after a 95-year-old woman became the fifth victim from a Sydney nursing home.
Western NSW Local Health District on Wednesday said a person had died in Orange Base Hospital earlier in the day from complications related to COVID-19. No further details were provided.
The 95-year-old Sydney woman was the fifth resident of the Dorothy Henderson Lodge aged care home in Macquarie Park to die of the virus.
The outbreak at the facility began in early March when one of the staff - who had not travelled overseas - was diagnosed.
Of the 2182 confirmed cases in NSW, about 42 people are in intensive care while 275 have no known source of transmission.
The latter figure is the key statistic by which authorities are gauging the success of shutdown measures aimed at halting the spread of the coronavirus.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has called on businesses to help plug crucial health and medical equipment shortages.
Businesses and manufacturers should approach the state government regarding their ability or intention to retool, the premier said on Wednesday.
"I'm calling on the great people of our state, those great business people, those manufacturers who are able to retool, to help supply the additional things we need in the coming months," Ms Berejiklian said.
"At this stage we're still, to an extent, controlling (and) containing the spread, but we know we can't do that forever."
Jobs Minister Stuart Ayres said NSW businesses were already manufacturing some masks but expansion was required.
There was no immediate threat of protective gear shortages for frontline staff but it was crucial to boost local manufacturing, he said.
Meanwhile police were trying to ease concerns over the enforcement of new coronavirus self-isolation measures which Attorney-General Mark Speakman admitted were "draconian".
Gatherings of more than two people, apart from immediate family, are banned in NSW as are all non-essential activities.
Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said officers will take a common-sense approach and show discretion.
Three infringement notices were issued on Tuesday.
A 39-year-old man was stopped as he was washing car windscreens at an intersection in Chester Hill.
Police allege he had no intention of complying with the Public Health Order, stating: "It's just a virus, it's not that bad."
Officers also saw four people drinking alcohol outside a closed hotel in Bankstown and although three left after being spoken to, a 57-year-old man allegedly "became abusive and refused their directions to leave".
Further west, in Parkes, police officers noticed people gathered outside a residence.
A 26-year-old man who was not a family member failed to heed several warnings and requests by police to leave the area and was fined.
NSW Police said on Wednesday a 41-year-old woman was arrested after deliberately coughing on people walking along a Cooma street and could be fined $11,000 or jailed for six months.
Police are also continuing to crack down on those who flout self-isolation after returning from overseas or coming into contact with COVID-19 cases.
A pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic is being set up in Bondi, meanwhile, after clusters developed within Sydney's backpacker community.
Other confirmed COVID-19 cases on Wednesday included a Kincumber High School student and three workers at a Mona Vale pizzeria.
Australian Associated Press
