NSW Health reveals restrictions in greater Sydney to end on Monday

NSW Health officials have made their decision on restrictions for greater Sydney forced by a recent COVID-19 case.

COVID-19 testing was urged by health officials after a positive case was found in Sydney last week. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gaye Gerard

Restrictions in Sydney forced by a recent COVID-19 case will be scrapped at midnight, health officials have announced.

Earlier this month, a man in his 50s from Sydney’s eastern suburbs, and his wife, became the first locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in NSW in more than a month.

It forced a raft of restrictions in greater Sydney, including a limit of 20 on the number of visitors allowed at a home.

Masks also became mandatory on public transport.

“As there has been no further transmission detected in relation to the two locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, the temporary COVID-safe measures in place for the greater Sydney area will not be extended beyond 12.01am on Monday, May 17,” NSW Health said in a statement on Sunday.

“This means limits will be removed on the number of guests allowed to visit private households.

“Drinking while standing at indoor venues, group singing indoors, and dancing at nightclubs will again be allowed.

“Masks will no longer be compulsory on public transport or for customer-facing staff in hospitality venues, however NSW Health continues to strongly encourage their use on public transport and in other settings where physical distancing is not possible.”

No further cases of coronavirus were diagnosed after the man from Sydney’s east and his wife tested positive.

But contact tracers have not been able to identify the source of his infection, despite the man’s genomic sequencing matching a US returned traveller who tested positive while in hotel quarantine.

“Despite extensive, ongoing investigations into the source of the two eastern suburbs cases, NSW Health has not yet identified how the initial case was exposed to the virus,” NSW Health wrote.

“As these two cases have shown, COVID-19 may re-emerge at any time, so it is important that we all continue to take practical measures to stay COVID-safe.

“This includes always using QR codes to check in to and out of venues, staying home and getting tested for COVID-19 if unwell, and practising good hand hygiene.”