- NSW has recorded 13 new cases of COVID-19, 12 of which are linked to two growing clusters within Sydney
- As a result of the growing cases in NSW, Sydney residents are being urged to wear masks in crowded public places
- In the meantime, Victoria has recorded another 374 new cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours
- Three more elderly women have also died in the state after contracting coronavirus
- In total, there are now more than 3000 active COVID-19 cases in Victoria
Another 13 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in NSW, with the majority of new cases linked to two known clusters.
Ten of the new cases are linked to an outbreak at Thai Rock Restaurant in Wetherill Park.
Meanwhile, another two of the new cases are linked to the huge Crossroads Hotel cluster in Casula, which has now been linked to 50 cases across the state, including two politicians and dozens of army officials.
Case increase
NSW is in the midst of a slight uptick in COVID-19 infections, with 69 cases recorded last week, compared to just 16 the week before.
The increase has prompted health officials to recommend Sydney residents don face masks while out in heavily crowded public places.
“I think there’s still a reasonable chance that the New South Wales public health team will get this under control,” said Australia’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Nick Coatsworth.
“But we do have to start to consider things like mask use on public transport where we can can’t socially distance. And that’s something that we would start to encourage Sydneysiders to strongly consider,” he added.
Case explosion
In comparison, Victoria has recorded 374 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, it’s second-largest daily total since the pandemic began.
Three more people also died from coronavirus in the state, including a woman aged over 100, a woman in her 90s and a woman in her 80s.
In total, there are now 3078 active coronavirus cases in Victoria.
Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, said today’s results were on par with what he was expecting.
“At the end of the day, we’re not seeing the doubling and doubling again. So what that says to me … is that the sorts of measures we have put in place are having a direct impact,” he said.
Melbourne residents re-entered stage three lockdown conditions almost two weeks ago, following a surge in cases, with border closures also implemented.
Mandatory masks
All of those restrictions remain in place, while face masks will become mandatory for most Melbourne residents from midnight tomorrow.
Exemptions are in place for those with applicable health conditions and children aged under 12.
Once the rules are introduced, Victorian Police will hand out $200 fines to anyone caught without a face-covering in public.