The federal government has released a graphic ad showing a young woman struggling to breathe after contracting coronavirus.

It has been broadcast in Sydney as the city struggles with a growing outbreak.

Lieutenant General John Frewen said the ad was designed to be confronting.

He urged people aged under 40 living in hotspot areas to talk to their doctor about getting the AstraZeneca vaccine, despite Pfizer being preferred for the age group.

Frewen said people in southwest Sydney needed to weigh up the risks of getting coronavirus against the vaccine advice.

“Those people between 18 and 40 need to make a decision now about whether they want to take their chances with the Delta virus or whether they want to get down, have a discussion with their GPs and get AstraZeneca,” he told 2GB radio.

Public health expert Bill Bowtell panned the “insensitive” coronavirus ad and demanded it be taken down.

“It would have been far better to have a real person, real people, who have either had COVID or recovered from it, or regrettably there are thousands of families in Australia who have lost people to COVID,” he told ABC radio.

“That’s honest, that’s truthful, that’s authentic and that has impact.”

Labor frontbencher Tanya Plibersek criticised the decision to use a young woman sick with the virus, considering the age group is not yet eligible for vaccination.

The federal government is set to announce a support package for Sydney businesses as the city’s COVID-19 case numbers are expected to climb into triple-digits.

The extra Commonwealth business assistance will run alongside support measures from the NSW government.

The federal government is also expected to broaden the eligibility for individual and household support payments.

It currently provides disaster relief payments for people put out of work worth up to $500 a week.

Sydney cafes, bars and pubs have gone back to past lockdown routines, limiting their offerings to takeaway and delivery.

Small businesses have warned their reduced revenues are not enough to survive and they need much more support.

Labor frontbencher and MP for the NSW seat of McMahon, Chris Bowen, said JobKeeper or something similar should be brought back.

“There needs to be a carefully designed package. It shouldn’t be Sydney specific, it should apply to all lockdown areas,” he told ABC radio.

NSW recorded 77 new cases on Sunday, with 33 infectious people active while in the community.

The state also also had its first virus death from the latest outbreak, with an unvaccinated woman in her 90s dying in Liverpool Hospital.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned the situation will get worse before it gets better.