Premier's urgent plea as NSW Covid restrictions to be extended
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says current Covid-19 restrictions in place across Sydney and surrounding areas will be extended beyond Wednesday as she called on residents to come forward and get tested.
On Monday morning NSW Health revealed two more locally acquired cases have been identified taking the Bondi cluster to 11 cases.
The mandatory mask rule on public transport in Greater Sydney, Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas was initially due to end on Wednesday at midnight after five days but the "level of concern" remains meaning an extension is inevitable.
"Given the situation we're in, and given that we don't want to see further restrictions imposed more broadly across our cities in our state, that in all likelihood, the existing conditions are likely to continue beyond the initial five days that we had asked people to do," Ms Berejiklian told reporters.
The outbreak has also led to increased restrictions for about one million residents in seven local government areas as health authorities look to curtail the spread of the virus.
Anyone shopping, working in hospitality or indoors must wear a mask unless eating or drinking if they live in the local government areas of Randwick, Bayside, Botany Bay, Inner West, City of Sydney, Waverley and Woollahra.
While testing exceeded 25,000 on Sunday, Ms Berejiklian said more was needed in the coming days.
“We want that rate to be higher," she said.
"We will have confidence in our policy going forward in relation to the current settings going forward, if those testing rates go up."