Tighter restrictions for indoor hospitality venues will come into effect from next Friday as eight new cases were confirmed overnight.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
During a morning media conference, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the restrictions that are in place for pubs from today will be extended and imposed on clubs, restaurants, cafes and all indoor hospitality venues.
These restrictions limit group bookings to a maximum of 10 people and cap the number of customers inside a venue to 300 people.
The new rules also require hygiene marshalls to patrol venues to oversee social distancing, cleaning and hygiene, and ensure the mandatory implementation of a COVID-Safe plan including the requirement that all patrons must sign in and provide contact details.
"I urge businesses to take on the advice from today but we are giving them time to get organised," Premier Berejiklian said.
"There can not be group bookings above 10 people. We need everyone to be seated. They can not mingle.
"Everyone is subject to the four square metre rule and 1.5 metre social distancing rules.
"If you have a smaller space, you might only be allowed to have 20 people for example in your space."
Ms Berejiklian also announced wedding and corporate event numbers would be capped at 150 people and they must be seated and there can be no dancing, singing or mingling.
Funerals and places of worship are limited to 100 guests.
"We have done this because usually people know everyone at those events or ceremonies and that increases the risk of transmission," she said.
Ms Berejiklian said the capped numbers related to larger venues, but for many smaller venues, that number would be less because the venue can only have the maximum number of people allowed within a four square metre space.
The Premier has kept in place the 20-people per home rule as well as 20-people rule for those gathering outside.
"However, 10 people is a safe number. We ask people to be thoughtful of how many people they welcome into their home for the next little while," she said.
Ms Berejiklian said the state was still on "high alert".
"We need to make sure we contain the virus and make sure we get on top of any potential hotspots or community transmissions bubbling under the surface," she said.
"We all need to limit our activity."
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said there had been eight new cases as at 8pm last night with 24,467 people tested in the 24 hour reporting period.
There are 101 cases being treated by NSW Health with one person in intensive care.
Of the eight new cases, those include two returned travellers in hotel quarantine as well as a woman in her 20s from northern NSW who returned from Victoria.
Also a woman in her 20s from Hunter/New England who is a partner of a returned case, a women in her 30s from south-west Sydney who worked at the Thai Rock restaurant in Stockland Mall Wetherill Park on July 9, 10, 11, 12 and 14, and a man in his 80s who dined after attending the Crossroads Hotel on July 5.
A child and teenager are linked to the cluster but did not attend the hotel.
From 8pm to 9am, an additional five cases have been reported, including two men and one woman, all in their 20s, who did not attend the Crossroads Hotel but are linked to the cluster; and a man in his 40s and a teenager from the same household.
Dr Chant said 42 cases had been linked to the hotel.
Meantime, Victoria has recorded 428 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of cases to 5165.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said 57 of the new cases were from known sources, one was in quarantine and 370 were under investigation.
There have been three further deaths bringing the total lives lost to 32. A man in his 80s, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 80s have sadly passed away.
Victoria has conducted more than one millions virus tests, and Mr Andrews appealed to anyone with even mild symptoms to come forward to be tested.
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.