Premier Gladys Berejiklian extends mask restrictions in Greater Sydney

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced new and wider-reaching Covid-19 restrictions after a worrying rise in cases overnight.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced the week-long extension of mask restrictions to all of Greater Sydney after a worrying rise in Covid-19 cases was reported overnight.

“We will extend it to all of Greater Sydney. That means excluding the Central Coast and excluding the Hunter, but also they will be required to adhere to that compulsory mask wearing indoors for hospitality workers when we are going shopping, going grocery shopping, going to events inside,” Ms Berejiklian told reporters.

“It is only when you are eating or drinking indoors at a venue that you can’t or shouldn’t wear a mask. In every other circumstance, if you live or are in Sydney, you must wear a mask for another week beyond Wednesday midnight.

“Additionally, those two local government areas and Wollongong and Shellharbour which had compulsory public transport for that period will also be required to have the mask wearing indoors in the same way we have asked all of Sydney to do.”

Officials confirmed 10 new infections since yesterday, with NSW Health revealing five locally acquired cases had been recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, with two of those announced yesterday morning.

There were also seven other infections recorded after the official reporting period and will therefore be included in Wednesday’s numbers. There are now 21 infections in NSW’s Covid-19 outbreak.

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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced 10 new cases in her state this morning. Picture: Dylan Coker/NCA NewsWire

Ms Berejiklian said that “at this stage, we feel the response we are having is proportionate to the risk” – but NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard warned residents to “take it very, very seriously”, especially because it’s the more infectious Delta variant.

“Last year, we talked about the necessity for the 1.5 metre social distancing. That is still crucial. We also need to recognise that this Delta variant, the Delta variant of the coronavirus, is actually a gold medallist that comes to jumping from one person to another. It is a long jumper,” he said.

“Take it very, very seriously. Follow the guidelines that NSW Health and the NSW government establish. We are all in this together but we want to get out of it together, safe and sound. We take seriously using QR codes and making sure we maintain distance wherever possible.”

Asked what it would take for further measures to be introduced, the Premier said it will be based on the advice of chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant.

“At this stage because all but one case is linked to an existing case and that case was only discovered a few hours ago, that gives us a degree of confidence that what we have asked people to do matches the risk that is there at the moment,” she said.

“If that changes – if we suddenly have a number of unlinked cases and if we suddenly have them outside the geographic region they are concentrated in – that will obviously adjust the health advice and we will respond to that.”

QR codes to be made compulsory

Both Mr Hazzard and Ms Berejiklian also flagged the importance of QR codes, with the Premier saying that in order to keep NSW open throughout the pandemic, “we’re going to have to adjust and make sure that things like retail outlets do have that compulsory QR code”.

She added that the NSW government “will be in touch with the peak bodies to let them know that is what we will be doing going forward”.

“I want to stress a number of categories of retail businesses already have to have QR codes in place. But others where you assume people would go in for a short period of time previously didn’t,” she said.

“I think everyone understands the benefit of that. It means we can keep things going, keep shops open and people are naturally regulating as you go around certain parts of eastern Sydney, it is obvious that people have listened to the messages, there are less people moving around, less people going around unless we have to.”

Ms Berejiklian said retail outlets will need a ‘compulsory QR code’. Picture: Monique Harmer

On Monday, the Premier foreshadowed the possibility of current restrictions around masks for Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour being extended.

She said while Monday’s case numbers weren’t a “bad outcome” there was still a level of concern about the way this virus has spread “fleetingly” between some cases.

“Given the situation we are in and given we don’t want to see further restrictions imposed more broadly across our city and our state, in all likelihood, the existing settings we have in place will continue beyond the five days,” she said.

A number of changes to mask restrictions kicked in at 4pm on Sunday, including the requirement for masks on public transport being extended to include Wollongong and Shellharbour.

Previously this restriction only applied to Greater Sydney and the Blue Mountains but was extended after a confirmed case spent time in Wollongong.

Ms Berejiklian said these mandates were brought in to help avoid a “superspreader event” that could see cases explode across Sydney and surrounding areas.

Masks are now also mandatory in indoor premises for certain local government areas, including Bayside, Canada Bay, Sydney, Randwick, Inner West, Waverley and Woollahra.

These indoor venues include retail and business premises that provides goods and services to the public, gaming rooms, entertainment facilities, places of worship, residential aged care facilities (but not for residents), and for front end staff at hospitality venues.

People have also been asked to reconsider non-essential trips to aged care and disability facilities, with visits limited to two people per day.

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The Premier warned current restrictions around masks would likely be extended on Monday. Picture: David Swift/NCA NewsWire

The announcement from Ms Berejiklian also follows calls from a top epidemiologist for a snap three-day lockdown in Sydney.

Epidemiologist and World Health Organisation adviser, Professor Mary-Louise McLaws, told ABC radio NSW needs to take this outbreak of the Delta variant “very seriously”.

“If the numbers go up any further we should really be thinking about a three-day lockdown,” she said on Monday.

Professor McLaws also said masks should be made mandatory in all public areas for Greater Sydney.

Ms Berejiklian had previously refused to rule out bringing in tougher restrictions in order to control the outbreak.

She said the next few days were critical for NSW and any further restrictions “will depend on what cases emerge in the next few days”.