Health authorities in NSW have confirmed 190 new coronavirus infections — a 10 per cent drop on the record announced on Wednesday.

Key points: The Premier has not ruled out further coronavirus crackdowns in NSW

The Premier has not ruled out further coronavirus crackdowns in NSW Health authorities are increasing ICU capacity at the state's hospitals

Health authorities are increasing ICU capacity at the state's hospitals There's been seven deaths in the state and 16 cases in ICU

The total number of cases in the state is 1,219.

Each morning, NSW Health releases the statistics, which are accurate to 8:00pm the previous day.

In the 24 hours to 8:00pm Tuesday, there were 212 new infections but on Thursday morning, NSW Chief Medical Officer Kerry Chant revealed that number had decreased slightly.

While NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian welcomed the decrease, she warned further shutdowns were likely in NSW if health authorities did not see the decline continue.

"If things haven't shifted because of the actions we took earlier in the week, and actions which I'm very pleased we took at that time, we will have to go further," she said.

"And I just want everyone to be prepared for that, not to be overly concerned or panicked, but just to know that the NSW Government will go further if we have to, because it's in the interests of public safety."

Dr Chant said she was expecting the state's total number of infections to continue rising, driven mainly by cases in people returning from overseas.

"We'll be particularly looking at those cases where we don't find any links to either overseas travel or known clusters or other confirmed cases," she said.

"And that will give us an indication of the success of the strategies."

However Thursday's cases marking a slight decline from Wednesday's record spelt good news for authorities calling for the public to help "flatten the curve" of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

It comes as hospitals across the country make unprecedented moves to prepare for a predicted influx of coronavirus patients, with doctors at St Vincent's Hospital told to learn how to use ventilators and mechanical ventilation devices through online training modules.

The ABC also understands doctors in specialist areas outside of critical care and the ICU are being told to be prepare for reassignment out of their normal areas in order to fight the virus in the coming months.

This includes specialities such as physiotherapists being retrained in critical care procedures and GPs being placed into special COVID-19 response teams.

Dr Chant said NSW hospitals had doubled their ICU capacity to 500 ventilated beds.

She said health authorities were forming a contingency plan in the event more were required.

"As we phase down elective surgery we can ensure those areas are turned into ICUs," she said.

"We may need to plan for doubling and tripling [figures], and then quadrupling."

Ms Berejiklian said NSW had also relaxed testing criteria to ensure high-risk citizens, including health care workers, could be swabbed.

On Thursday morning, the Federal Government revealed it was loosening its COVID-19 restrictions on hairdressers, that had previously been allowed to book clients for 30-minute appointments.

Ms Berejiklian said there was "further clarity required".

"I'd rather be cautious and take action. As much as possible we are asking everybody to please step up and heed what we've asked," she said.

"NSW is different to the other states. If I feel the curve is not going the way we want it to, I will go further in NSW, there will be further shutdowns."