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There are growing calls for teachers to be given priority access to COVID-19 vaccinations amid concerns the Delta variant could create a "tinderbox situation" within schools.

NSW Teachers' Federation member Alisa Stephens said teachers have felt taken for granted for the past 18 months of the pandemic, as state leaders insist schools remain safe for students but little is done to protect at-risk staff.

"We have been asked to show up, to stay at work, to stay with our students, stay face to face. We understand those things are important, and yet no priority has been given," she told Weekend Today this morning.

READ MORE: Growing concerns over spread of Delta strain in schools

"We are classed in the general public in terms of getting vaccinations."

Ms Stephens said she registered for her COVID-19 vaccination back in May as Pfizer was opened up to over 40s, but is still waiting for the first available appointment in three weeks' time.

But many of her colleagues are facing an even longer wait, unable to find an available appointment until September.

"That's the end of next term – that's 10 weeks away," she said.

"That's a bit concerning."

READ MORE: Teenager among 16 people in ICU with COVID-19

Similar calls for priority vaccination have also come from the Independent Education Union's (IEU) Queensland and Northern Territory branch and Queensland Teachers' Union (QTU).

While in NSW, school students have been on holidays for the past fortnight and are set to learn from home this week, there are concerns a return to the classroom – currently scheduled for July 19 – could see a "tinderbox situation" as the Delta variant continues its spread through Greater Sydney.

"Teachers are in quite close proximity to 30 students an hour," Ms Stephens said.

"It might be six lessons in a day, six periods in a day – that's 180 students."

"Schools are busy places and there are lots of other adults as well in that space. Social distancing isn't always practical or appropriate, particularly for people working with younger students."

Already, there were a number of clusters within schools at the end of Term 2 which saw fellow students and staff infected, including a mystery case in a nine-year-old in Sydney's east.

READ MORE: The highly contagious Delta strain explained

While the research is still in its preliminary stages, it appears that the Delta variant is more transmissible across all age groups – including children.

In countries with high vaccination rates amongst the older age groups such as Israel and the United Kingdom, infections in children and young people are fuelling a third wave.

Unlike Australia, many nations around the world treat teachers as frontline workers, including most of continental Europe and North America.

That's not the case in the United Kingdom, where the Delta variant has seen 150 outbreaks within schools.

In the UK, there has been an increase in hospital admissions in young people with Delta.

That was brought home at a local level yesterday when NSW health authorities revealed that a 16-year-old boy is now critically ill with the virus in a Sydney ICU.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant described the news as a "a salient lesson" that the virus can affect anyone, regardless of their age.

Also among the growing number of people in ICUs in the state are people aged in their 20s, 30s and 40s.

Yet vaccinations for younger age groups in Australia remain months away, with authorities saying they hope to open up the Pfizer vaccine to those under 40 by September.

For those under 18 – the last category set to be vaccinated according to the federal government's rollout schedule – that date is even further off.

An elderly woman has died in a Sydney hospital just hours after testing positive to COVID-19.

The 90-year-old from south-western Sydney caught the infection from a family member in her home.

She was admitted to Liverpool Hospital and tested for COVID-19 on Friday, with a positive test being returned early yesterday morning. She passed away hours later.

READ MORE: 'Much worse' to come as NSW records 77 new infections

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1414026711222472706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian this morning extended her condolences to the woman's family, as she urged Sydneysiders to avoid contact with family members outside of their household.

"I can't stress enough that every time we risk breaking the rules or even just going about our business and not getting tested when we need to, the people whose lives and health that we're risking the most are those closest to us," she said.

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said she understood that the woman had not been vaccinated against COVID-19.

READ MORE: New face mask mandate for Sydney apartments

It is the first death from the virus to be recorded since the start of the Bondi outbreak last month, but there are fears it won't be the last as the number of critically ill continues to grow.

There are now 52 people being treated in hospitals across the state, including 15 in Intensive Care, of whom five require ventilation.

Health authorities are also noting a growing trend of serious illness in young people.

READ MORE: 'Much firmer': NSW Police to further crack down on lockdown breaches

Among those in ICU are a 16-year-old, one person in their 20s, one in their 30s and one in their 40s.There are now 15 people critically ill in ICUs in the state, five of whom including a 16-year-old.

"We cannot afford to have complacency," Dr Chant said.

"There are many people (in hospital) under the age of 55 – that dispels the myth that it is only for the elderly.

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New South Wales has recorded 77 new cases of COVID-19 and one death in the past 24 hours to 8pm.

Of today's 77 new cases, 42 were out in the community for all or part of their infectious period.

The results come from more than 48,000 tests – a number NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian is urging residents to sustain in order to curb the spiralling outbreak.

READ MORE: Data reveals how the Delta variant has evaded the Sydney lockdown

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1414026700841644036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

But the sobering figures are unlikely to mark the peak of the outbreak, Ms Berejiklian has warned, saying she would "be shocked" if tomorrow's figures were under 100.

"Tomorrow and the few days afterwards will be worse – much worse – than we've seen today," she said.

"Given the number of people exposed in the community overnight, I'm anticipating the numbers in New South Wales will be greater than 100 tomorrow."

In a sign that contact tracers are increasingly struggling to keep up with the pace of the growing outbreak, Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said cases' close contacts are continuing to spread the virus in the community before testing positive themselves.

"We need to get ahead of the spread," she said.

"We need to ensure that we've stopped that chain of transmission so we've found all the cases, contained their contact, so that there's no people infectious in the community."

READ MORE: COVID-19 warnings upgraded for Sydney Coles, KFC

Ms Berejiklian and Dr Chant again urged people not to mix with other family members from separate households.

More than 50 of today's new infections close family members of previous cases.

"When you get COVID, unfortunately those most impacted are those closest to you," she said.

Dr Chant said that the "vast majority" of the new reported cases live in the south-west Sydney region – a number that is "extraordinarily high".

"We know transmission is going through households, from household to household. And it's impacting on other close friends and work colleagues," she said.

Essential workers are emerging as a new concern for contact tracers, in particular tradies who may be visiting multiple worksites.

"We really need people who visit multiple sites for essential work, whether you're an electrician or fixing essential services for people within homes or sites, we recommend strongly that you get tested immediately before you continue working," Ms Berejiklian said.

Tragic death first to be recorded from Sydney cluster

A 90-year-old woman from Sydney's south-west has died at Liverpool Hospital yesterday, just hours after testing positive to COVID-19.

She caught the infection from a family member within her household.

The woman was tested on Friday and returned a positive result early yesterday.

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1414026713281949696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

"Tragically we've seen one older person die and I want to extend my deepest condolences to their families and loved ones," the premier said.

"I can't stress enough that every time we risk breaking the rules or even just going about our business and not getting tested when we need to, the people whose lives and health that we're risking the most are those closest to us."

It is the first death to be recorded since the start of the Bondi outbreak last month.

Today's COVID-19 case breakdown

While today's new COVID-19 cases alone are ringing alarm bells for health authorities, it is the breakdown of the cases that have fuelled the premier's warning that the worst is still ahead.

Of today's 77 new cases, 55 are linked to a known case or cluster, including 39 household contacts and 16 close contacts.

This means the source of almost one-third of the new infections remains unknown.

Even more concerningly, well under half of today's cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period.

Of today's 77 cases:

• 32 were isolated throughout their infectious period
• 9 were isolated for part of their infectious period
• 33 were infectious in the community
• 3 remain under investigation

The number of people hospitalised with the virus is also on the rise, climbing to 52 today.

There are now 15 people in Intensive Care, and five of these people are being ventilated.

The outbreak stemming from a party at the Meriton Suites in Waterloo on June 26 – the first day of Greater Sydney's lockdown – has continued to grow as close contacts test positive.

Eleven of today's new cases have been linked to the party, bringing the cluster to 46 cases – from just seven people who caught their infection at the gathering.

New sewage alerts

In a possible sign of more missing links across Sydney, there have positive sewage detections across three Sydney treatment plants where no known cases of COVID-19 reside.

Fragments of COVID-19 have been found at sites at Castle Hill-Cattai, Penrith and Port Kembla. The three sites service more than 150,000 people across Sydney.

It is the third time that the Penrith site has had a positive detection, despite no known cases.

The sewage plant serves around 97,000 people across the following suburbs: Cambridge Gardens, Cambridge Park, Leonay, Emu Plains, Glenbrook, Penrith, South Penrith, Glenmore Park, Jamisontown, Regentville, Lapstone, Orchard Hills, Kingswood, Castlereagh, Cranebrook, Llandilo, Sun Valley, Mount Riverview, Emu Heights, Jordan Springs, Mulgoa, Warrimoo, Blaxland and Yellow Rock, as well as the Blue Mountains National Park.

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1414026742142955522?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The Castle Hill-Cattai sewage treatment plant serves approximately 8,400 people in suburbs including Glenhaven, Dural, Kenthurst, Kellyville and Castle Hill.

The Port Kembla sewage network serves about 49,000 people in suburbs including Windang, Lake Heights, Cringila, Warrawong, Koonawarra, Brownsville, Dapto, Berkeley, Kanahooka, Horsley, Avondale, Cleveland, Unanderra, Kembla Grange, Primbee and Port Kembla.

Fears Sydney en route to Victoria-style lockdown

Today's figures add to growing fears that Sydney and the surrounding regions are now sitting down the barrel of a lengthy shutdown similar to that seen in Victoria last year, with one of Australia's leading epidemiologists yesterday suggesting lockdown orders would likely extend beyond August.

Data analysis conducted by 9news.com.au has revealed just how much more the current COVID-19 outbreak has spread compared to the previous Northern Beaches one, which placed half of the peninsula under strict stay-at-home orders for three weeks over the Christmas period.

New mask rules for apartment buildings

As well as additional restrictions around exercise and essential shopping introduced on Friday, requirements around mask wearing and restrictions on entering Greater Sydney are also being tightened.

From Tuesday July 13, masks will be compulsory inside residential buildings in all common property areas, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said yesterday.

This means those living in apartment blocks will need to put on a mask before entering the following common areas:

• a shared foyer or lobby of an apartment block
• lifts, stairwells and corridors
• shared laundry facilities

This applies to anyone entering the building, not just residents, and includes cleaners, tradespeople and anyone delivering goods.

https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1413981428480675850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Moreover, the reasons for entering Greater Sydney have been tightened.

Coming into the region for the purposes of exercise or outdoor recreation is no longer a valid excuse.

From today, people from outside Greater Sydney will only be able to enter for a funeral, memorial service or gathering afterwards if there are no more than 10 people in attendance.

Other states look to their borders

Other states are also looking to their borders, with Victoria yesterday issuing a final warning to its residents currently in regional New South Wales to return home.

Victoria's COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar told NSW travellers they "should have left already", warning that a hard border with the whole of the state was likely "in the coming hours or days".

Queensland is similarly looking to the deteriorating situation in New South Wales as it contemplates a total border ban for the state.

Originally published by Māori Television Teacher aides in mainstream childhood centres on minimum wage earn more than most kōhanga reo kaiako / kaimahi who say they earn “crumbs” and are now seeking pay equity.The largest…