Sharjah24 – Reuters: Australia's most-populous state of New South Wales on Sunday reported eight new COVID-19 cases as new social distancing restrictions and mandatory mask wearing kicked in while neighbouring Victoria had three new cases.
The New South Wales outbreak, which began around mid-December at Sydney's Northern Beaches, now totals 148. There are also smaller clusters in Sydney's west and south, which authorities fear could rise in coming days.
NSW will enforce mask wearing from midnight in indoor venues like gaming rooms, hair salons, nail salons and retail shops.
"I would encourage the community across Greater Sydney, to wear masks in compliance with the law, but do it for yourself, do it for your family, do it for your community, that's the main reason," said state Health Minister Brad Hazzard.
Victoria's three cases on Sunday were all linked to the same Melbourne restaurant, though the source of the infection is still under investigation.
Health authorities have identified 220 "close contacts" and more than 50 "exposure sites" linked to positive cases.
Victoria, which now has more than 30 active cases, has made masks mandatory across the state while limiting gatherings and shutting its border to NSW.
Australia has reported more than 28,450 COVID-19 cases and 909 deaths since the pandemic began.
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