New South Wales will require masks to be worn in indoor settings from midnight on Thursday, as some "modest, cautious" restrictions return amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.
Premier Dominic Perrottet announced the changes, as he pleaded with residents to refrain from PCR testing unless being directed to do so or displaying symptoms.
This was a record for any state in Australia and represented a 51 per cent increase on Wednesday's figure.
The state is not alone in bringing in new measures, with Victoria , and Western Australia mandating masks for all public indoor settings and nightclubs closed until 28 December after a new community case.
"As of midnight tonight, we will be requiring that masks are worn in indoor settings," Mr Perrottet said at a press conference in Sydney on Thursday afternoon.
Hospitality venues, including pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes, will move to a two-square-metre rule with no density limit for outdoor settings. QR check-in codes will be compulsory, including for hospitality and retail, NSW Health said.
All of these settings will be in place until 27 January.
The premier also urged those who can work from home to do so, particularly over the holiday period.
"We do want to limit mobility, just as we get through this period of time and particularly in relation to ensuring that our health workers are able to be on the job and provide that care and support for those who are unwell," he said.
On Thursday, around 1,500 health workers were either unwell or unable through testing requirements to work.
COVID-19 restrictions eased in NSW on 15 December for all residents, including the unvaccinated. The premier had, in recent days, urged residents to take "personal responsibility" and as case numbers rose.
He said on Thursday the changes were "modest, cautious and precautionary".
"As we have always said, we will tailor our settings accordingly and at the moment we believe the settings we have made today will ensure that we have a strong summer, people remain safe," he said.
The Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) said it strongly welcomed the re-introduction of "vital" public health measures across all states.
President-elect Dr Jacqueline Small said she was relieved governments have moved in line with its recommendations, and those of the country's senior public health advisers.
“What we are seeing with Omicron is that it spreads at lightning speed, and if we don’t take action now, we will have even more challenging times ahead of us," Dr Small said.
“The unprecedented climb in case numbers in NSW shows why we urgently needed public health measures to be put back in place.
“We strongly welcome the state governments’ decisions to reintroduce or maintain mask mandates, in addition to QR code check-ins and density limits."
Mr Perrottet said the government will also procure free rapid antigen tests into next year as part of a plan to move away from PCR testing.
With enormous pressure on testing clinics, he urged residents to only get a PCR test if they were directed to do so by NSW Health or if they were unwell.
Omicron likely milder than infection with Delta, CHO says
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the state is currently dealing with both the circulation of Delta and Omicron, but that 80 per cent of current cases are the new variant.
"The increase in Omicron largely explains the steep rise in cases," she told reporters on Thursday.
Dr Chant said multiple pieces of evidence, both from overseas and local emerging data, indicate infection with Omicron is likely to be milder than that of Delta. The risk of hospitalisation appears around 60 to 80 per cent less than for Delta, she said.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant addresses media during a press conference in Sydney, Thursday, 23 December, 2021. Source: AAP
"But the issue is the increased transmissibility, leading to high case numbers and the impact this is having on vulnerable settings, vulnerable people and critical workforces," she said.
"And also, it's important to remember that more cases across the population can lead to - even if a smaller proportion of them lead to hospitalisations - higher hospitalisations overall. And that's why we're taking a very cautious approach to monitoring the situation."
Dr Chant said booster doses will both increase protection and have an impact on transmission, as she called on the community to get vaccinated.
Sydney remains the state's epicentre of the virus, but transmission is also raging in the Hunter New England area, which has 976 new cases.
The South Eastern Sydney Local Health District has the most cases, with 1,186 recorded in the last 24-hour period.
One death, an unvaccinated man in his 40s with underlying health conditions, was recorded on Thursday.
The number of people in hospital has climbed to 347, up 45, with 45 in ICU, 13 of whom are on ventilators.
Most of the intensive care patients are unvaccinated.
With AAP.
