The NSW government is looking at how economic activity and social freedoms can be maximised while maintaining a manageable number of COVID-19 cases.
NSW recorded nine new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, one of which was a Newmarch House aged care facility worker confirmed on Tuesday by operators Anglicare.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission on Wednesday said there's "an immediate and severe risk to the health, safety and wellbeing of care recipients" at Newmarch House.
The commission announced it would investigate the western Sydney facility and the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak.
A royal commission into aged care will also look at the impact of coronavirus on aged care and the COVID-19 deaths at other nursing homes.
The coronavirus-hit Newmarch House on Tuesday confirmed a 16th resident infected with COVID-19 has died, raising the state's death toll to 46.
Some 37 of the 100-odd residents at the nursing home near Penrith have tested positive to the virus.
NSW has to date recorded 3042 cases of coronavirus, but only around 600 are active, with 13 people in intensive care.
Meanwhile, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday acknowledged an increase in COVID-19 cases was likely with the easing of restrictions, and urged residents to maintain social distancing and seek testing even with mild respiratory symptoms.
Schools would resume some face-to-face learning in NSW from May 11, while the National Cabinet will on Friday discuss the additional easing of restrictions.
Ms Berejiklian said the health system has been upscaled to cater for additional cases throughout winter.
"It's easy to shut things down - it's much harder to reopen and have normality because we need to make sure everything we do is COVID-safe," she told reporters.
"It's really about living with the pandemic, for want of a better term. I just want to make sure all the hard work we've done doesn't evaporate because we took one hasty decision."
Ms Berejiklian said NSW would look to find the sweet spot in what economic activity and social liberties were maximised, while maintaining a manageable number of virus cases.
Reopening schools "has the lowest health risk but the highest economic benefit", she said.
She admitted major adjustments would be required on the public transport network if large numbers of workers return to offices in Sydney's CBD.
NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said federal and state governments in the post-coronavirus environment would need to "reduce the tax burden, reduce red tape (and) cut regulations" to kickstart economic growth.
"It's not just an opportunity for reform, we have an obligation to reform our system to help keep people in work and businesses in business," Mr Perrottet told reporters on Wednesday.
A new drive-through COVID-19 testing clinic, which has the capacity to test up to 900 people in one day, is due to open in Newcastle on Friday for 10 days.
Public Health Physician Dr David Durrheim said while coronavirus numbers were stabilising in the region, the six-lane clinic would help uncover any undetected infections still present in the community.
Meanwhile, the Special Commission of Inquiry into the Ruby Princess on Wednesday heard from NSW Port Authority senior manager Robert Rybanic.
Mr Rybanic told the commission he had been told NSW Health deemed the ship a "low-risk ship" and that it "wasn't a COVID ship".
The special commission is expected to continue to hear evidence on Friday.
The ill-fated cruise ship is linked to more than 20 coronavirus deaths and 600 infections nationwide.
Australian Associated Press
