Covid Australia live news update: NSW records 681 cases, extends regional lockdown; Victoria reports 57, ACT 16; Darwin ending lockdown after no new cases

NSW records 681 local cases and one death, extends regional lockdown as police issue 671 penalties in 24 hours; ACT records 16 cases; Victoria records 57 cases; Queensland reports another Covid-free day; Melbourne has now had 200 days of lockdown. Follow all the day’s news

5.38am BST

Service Australia workers are calling on the PM for more resources so they can work from home amid the pandemic and lockdowns in multiple states.

The Community and Public Sector Union says over 2,000 staff wrote to Scott Morrison and minister Linda Reynolds calling for more resources.

Services Australia only has 13,000 working from home phones but has over 34,000 staff and an additional seconded workforce. Due to a lack of equipment the agency is bringing thousands of workers in locked down areas into offices for work that can be done at home. This is just not good enough; it puts workers and their families at risk.

The most vulnerable in our community rely on workers in Centrelink Service Centres. These workers are absolutely essential. The fact that these workers do not have priority access to age-appropriate vaccines is just staggering.

5.11am BST

The federal treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, says the federal government has come to an agreement with the Victorian government for more support for small and medium businesses as lockdown continues in Melbourne until 2 September.

The $807m package will be funded 50/50 by the two governments, and will automatically flow to 110,000 businesses in Melbourne in affected industries such as non-essential retail, accommodation, events and hairdressing.