Australia's New South Wales (NSW) state has reported a fall in new daily coronavirus cases following two days of record 2021 infections as officials implore Sydney residents to follow rules so they can end a lockdown next week.

Australia's most populous state recorded 16 new Covid-19 infections on Saturday, data shows, and of those cases, 13 are already in isolation. The 16 new cases were down from 35 new cases on Friday — the highest number of daily cases so far this year for that state — and 31 on Thursday, according to a Reuters report.

Elsewhere in Australia, residents of Queensland state capital Brisbane have emerged from nearly a week of lockdown, as the state records only one new locally acquired case.

Perth, capital of Western Australia state, ended its lockdown on Friday night but restrictions remain in place until Tuesday.