New South Wales records a further 13 new cases of coronavirus as residents are urged to wear face masks in public
A further 13 cases of coronavirus have been diagnosed in New South Wales overnight.
Three of the new cases are in returned travellers currently in mandatory hotel quarantine and another is a person who recently arrived from Victoria.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Monday admitted community transmission cases are always a 'cause for concern' but said authorities are doing everything they can to keep the situation from spiralling like it has in Victoria.
'We are every day considering all of our options in terms of what we need to do to keep our community safe,' Ms Berejiklian said.
But she admitted 'no border is impenetrable' and said the state's geographical proximity to Victoria put New South Wales most at risk.
'No matter how tough we are... our geographic proximity makes us the first line to have that seeding,' she said.
Ms Berejiklian again reiterated the importance of wearing masks in public, and said she always carries one in her pocket.
The announcement comes as Ms Berejiklian on Sunday urged people to wear face masks in public from Monday onwards.
Ms Berejiklian said authorities would not make mask usage mandatory in NSW, but revised current recommendations to address four specific circumstances.
Masks should be worn by public-facing employees such as hospitality or supermarket workers, worshippers and residents of suburbs near COVID-19 clusters, as well as in situations where social distancing is impossible.
'We have been talking about masks for several weeks but obviously the persistent situation in Victoria gives us cause for alarm in terms of the potential for further seeding in NSW, and it is about risk mitigation strategy,' Ms Berejiklian said.
'We're going to the next stage of assessing what else and how else we can decrease the risk and break the current chain coming through NSW.'
Ms Berejiklian said she will be heeding the advice of health authorities in her daily life, calling wearing a mask 'the fourth line of defence'.
'I want to stress it is not compulsory, but it is a strong recommendation from NSW Health, given where we are in the pandemic, given the risk posed from Victoria and given the rate of community transmission in New South Wales,' she said.
'I myself, when I next go grocery shopping, will be wearing a mask.'
The latest case numbers - which exceed both Saturday and Sunday's figures - come after photographs surfaced of Sydneysiders ignoring health recommendations to cram in to Bondi Beach to watch the sunset this weekend.
Hundreds flocked to the world-famous beach on Sunday to soak up the winter sunshine as New South Wales battles to avoid a Victoria-style second wave of coronavirus infections.
The concerning crowds came on the same day Melbourne was forced into stage four lockdown after 671 new cases and seven deaths were recorded in Victoria on Sunday.
Those unable to snare a park bench packed the grassy hill to enjoy the view in large congregations, as many more strolled along the promenade as the temperature reached 19C.
Some revellers were in party mode as they enjoyed a few drinks with their mates.
There appeared to be no police or council rangers ensuring restrictions were being obeyed. The beach is supposed to be restricted to 500 visitors at a time, according to the Waveley Council website.
Very few face masks were seen, despite a plea on Sunday from NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urging everyone to wear one in public settings.
More to come.
Comments 0
Share what you think
No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.
