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Limousine drivers ferrying air crew between NSW airports and hotel quarantine are reportedly not required to be vaccinated against Covid or wear masks. 

Sydney's coronavirus outbreak was sparked by an unvaccinated Sydney Airport driver last week tested positive to the highly-infectious Delta variant.

The outbreak reached 31 on Wednesday and prompted sweeping restrictions on the city including mask wearing indoors, travel limits, and gatherings capped at five.

SkyNews Politicial Editor Andrew Clennell (pictured) has claimed the NSW government has no rules for limousine drivers transporting international passengers

Sky News political editor Andrew Clennell raged at the 'incompetent' state government, claiming the driver was not required to be vaccinated or wear PPE. 

Clennell while discussing the new restrictions on Wednesday said public health orders only require limousine drivers to undergo Covid-testing.

'It makes no sense whatsoever. It is clearly a failure of government - let alone the driver - that someone could be ferrying international aircrews without being vaccinated,' he said. 

'We know you can still get the virus and pass it on if vaccinated, but there is a much less chance, around 70 per cent, that would occur.'

That the driver was unvaccinated, and not required to be, was revealed last week when his case was made public, but the clamed lack of PPE mandate was not.

Police have for the past week investigated whether the driver, aged in his 60s, breached any health orders, which require those working around the hotel quarantine system to be tested for the virus daily. 

During the press conference, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard was asked why the driver was not vaccinated and if police determined whether any Covid breaches occurred.

Mr Hazzard did not respond directly to his question, instead reiterating that the man had been co-operative with health authorities.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has introduced a raft of new restrictions across Sydney in light of the growing outbreak 

'The limousine driver has been very helpful, in the sense that he has helped the tracers. Anything beyond that, in terms of enforcement, are matters for the police,' he said.    

The Bondi man was first tested for the virus on June 15, when he returned a positive reading. It is unclear when he began working in the system or if he only sought Covid-19 testing when his employer requested he do so.

It is unclear if the man was wearing personal protective equipment as required for most frontline workers.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted NSW Police and NSW Health for further comment. 

Thousands of Sydneysiders won't be allowed to travel beyond the metro area as part the restrictions imposed following a 'super-spreader event' in the city's west.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said restrictions were 'effective immediately' for Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour. 

'Please abandon non-essential activities, please don't attend social gatherings unless you absolutely must,' the premier said on Wednesday.

'I am not going to rule out further action.' 

Sydney's eastern suburbs cluster has ballooned to 31 after 13 new Covid cases were recorded overnight. Pictured: The Bondi Beach Drive-through COVID-19 Clinic with long lines stretching along Campbell Parade on June 23

Those who live or work in the City of Sydney, Waverley, Randwick, Canada Bay, Inner West, Bayside, and Woollahra local government areas cannot travel outside the metropolitan area unless it's absolutely essential.

The metro area is defined as the Hawkesbury/Nepean River in the north/north west and the outer boundaries of the City of Penrith, Camden Council, the City of Campbelltown and Sutherland Shire.

'We don't want the virus to spread to the regions,' Ms Berejiklian said.

NSW recorded 10 locally acquired cases to 8pm on Tuesday, seven of which were already announced.

An additional 13 cases were reported after 8pm, which will be counted in Thursday's official tally. Four of these cases are currently unlinked to existing cases.

Overall, there have been 16 new cases taking the total number of infections to 31, from 21 on Tuesday.

Eight of the 13 new cases announced on Wednesday are linked to a birthday party in Sydney's west that was attended by an unknowingly infectious worker from Bondi Junction Westfield (pictured)

Health workers are seen at Bondi Beach Drive-through COVID-19 Clinic on Wednesday, as the Bondi cluster grew to 31

Under the new restrictions, household visitors are limited to five people, including children and masks are now compulsory in non-residential indoor settings - including workplaces - and at outdoor events.

Masks must also be worn to gym classes, which limited to 20 people.

More than 44,000 tests were completed in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday.

Eight of the 13 cases confirmed overnight had attended a birthday party attended by about 30 people in West Hoxton on Saturday, which NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant described as a 'super spreader event'.

She warned there were people 'unknowingly' infected in the community.

An asymptomatic worker from Bondi Junction went to the party as did a father and a daughter.

The child then went to her childcare centre 60km southwest of Sydney's CBD on Monday. 

Just two days before public schools break for two weeks, Queensland followed Victoria and New Zealand by imposing bans on travellers from much of Sydney.

From 1am Thursday, Queensland will close its border to people from the City of Sydney and the Woollahra, Bayside, Canada Bay, Inner West, and Randwick local government areas. Waverley was already on the list.

Masks are now compulsory in non-residential indoor settings - including workplaces - and at outdoor events. Pedestrians are seen at Bondi Junction on June 21 as the city battles another Covid outbreak 

'To keep Queenslanders safe, we will be following exactly what Victoria has announced last night,' Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

'This advice may have to be updated during the course of the day or into the evening.'

Other Australian states have imposed border restrictions for people from the hotspot areas, with Victoria on Tuesday declared seven Sydney local government areas 'red zone'.

Earlier on Wednesday, NSW Health issued a health alert after a person infected with the virus flew from Sydney to New Zealand and back.

The alert was for passengers travelling on Qantas flight QF163 on Friday night to Wellington, and anyone who flew on Monday morning on Air New Zealand flight NZ247 from Wellington to Sydney.

Passengers on board those flights must contact NSW Health immediately, get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.