NSW’s covid cluster jumps to 21 cases as 10 new cases recorded overnight

COVID-19 cases in NSW  has risen to 21, with officials confirming 10 new infections since yesterday.

NSW Health revealed five locally acquired cases had been recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, with two of those announced yesterday morning.

The increasing number of cases has led NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian to extend the state's mask mandate for all indoor public venues. It is now a requirement for everyone to wear a mask when in a public indoor space in Greater Sydney. The only exception is if you are eating or drinking. 

The indoor mask restrictions will be extended to all of Greater Sydney, including the LGAs of Wollongong and Shellharbour. Masks are also required to be worn on public transport.

“There will be a requirement to adhere to that compulsory mask wearing indoors for hospitality workers, when we are going grocery shopping, going to events inside. It is only when you are eating or drinking indoors at a venue that you can’t or shouldn’t wear a mask,” Ms Berejiklian said.

The two cases announced yesterday include a woman in her 50s from Sydney’s northern suburbs and a man in his 30s from the eastern suburbs. They are both close contacts of previously reported cases and have been in isolation.

The other three cases reported to 8pm last night include a woman in her 60s from the Illawarra and a woman in her 40s from the northern suburbs who are both close contacts of known cases and have been in isolation. The third case is a woman in her 20s from the eastern suburbs who is linked to the Bondi cluster.

Of the seven cases confirmed after the reporting period, six of those are household contacts of previous cases who have been in isolation and one case is a child who attends St Charles Catholic Primary School at Waverley.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Sydney's Bondi cluster has risen to 21, after NSW Health confirmed 10 new infections in its latest update.

The indoor mask restrictions will be extended to all of Greater Sydney, including the LGAs of Wollongong and Shellharbour. Masks are also required to be worn on public transport.

“There will be a requirement to adhere to that compulsory mask wearing indoors for hospitality workers, when we are going grocery shopping, going to events inside. It is only when you are eating or drinking indoors at a venue that you can’t or shouldn’t wear a mask,” Ms Berejiklian said.

Out of the 10 new cases, seven came in after NSW Health's 8:00pm reporting deadline and will be officially included in tomorrow's numbers.

Of three cases confirmed before the reporting cut-off, one was a woman in her 60s from Illawarra and the other a woman in her 40s from Sydney's northern suburbs.

Both were close contacts of previously reported cases and have been in isolation.

The third is a woman in her 20s from Sydney's eastern suburbs.

NSW Health said she was linked to the Bondi cluster but further investigations were underway into the source of the infection.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the government would be pushing for QR codes to be made mandatory in all NSW retail outlets.

"There are categories that need to have QR codes including nail and beauty salons but we are in the process of extending it to all retail outlets," he said.

It comes as Queensland confirmed one new locally acquired covid - 19 case on Monday, while Victoria recorded zero new infections.