NSW Health calls for residents to wear masks indoors

The wave of cases confronting Australia has prompted one state to issue a call on masks in order to combat the spread.

NSW Health has called for residents to don masks indoors and on public transport when social distancing is not possible, amid a surge of cases in the state and across the country.

Cases continue to grow, with 22,672 people diagnosed with Covid-19 in the past week, an increase of 52.8 per cent since the previous week.

Hospitalisations and emergency department presentations are also increasing.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant has confirmed the state is in its fourth wave of Covid-19. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“The seven-day rolling average of daily hospital admissions increased to an average of 63 admissions by the end of this week, compared with 55 admissions at the end of the previous week,” the latest NSW Respiratory Surveillance Report read.

“Emergency department presentations for coronaviruses/SARS requiring an admission have increased to 248 from 169 admissions in the previous week.”

Due to the level of transmission, with various subvariants of the virus circulating in the community, NSW Health is urging residents to look after their health.

Maskwearing indoors and on public transport is now recommended by NSW Health, but is not mandatory. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Seb Haggett

“Because of the high level of Covid-19 transmission across the state, NSW Health is recommending that masks should be worn in indoor public places where physically distancing is not possible, and on public transport,” NSW Health advised.

The new advice does not mean maskwearing is mandatory in NSW, with Health Minister Brad Hazzard ruling out a return to enforced restrictions.

Brad Hazzard lashed WA officials for suggesting they may return to mandated mask wearing. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gaye Gerard

“No, we’re not looking back … We led the country, we were the ones that were taking everybody from overseas for WA because they locked their borders, for Queensland, for Victoria,” Mr Hazzard said last week.

“We know it’s increasing; we’ll see a peak towards the end of this month, early December or moving into December.

“The short message here is we have to live with Covid.”