COVID-19 restrictions to remain in NSW for another week

Limits on visitors to households and aged care centres, restrictions on singing and dancing, bans on standing while drinking plus mask wearing on public transport and at indoor venues (except retail and hospitality customers) will remain until 12.01 am on May 17. Patrons do need to wear a mask in the gaming area of venues.

"As the 'missing link' case hasn't been identified we're keen to prevent a super-spreading event," Premier Gladys Berejiklian said via social media.

"All safeguards/restrictions will be in place for an extra week, except for shoppers in retail who will no longer be required to wear a mask."

The following measures will now be in effect until 12.01 am Monday May 17 for Greater Sydney, Wollongong, Central Coast and Blue Mountains:

In relation to hospitality venues and retail outlets, masks must be worn by customer-facing staff. Patrons and customers do not have to wear a mask unless they are in the gaming area of a hospitality venue.

The measures were imposed after a man in his 50s and his partner mysteriously contracted the virus, though NSW Health it yet to identify how they contracted it.

What they do know is the strain the cases are the first known locally acquired cases of the Indian B.1.617 variant of the virus in NSW, with genomic sequencing revealing the infection was linked to a returned overseas traveller from the US who was in quarantine at the Parkroyal hotel at Darling Harbour.

In the 24 hours to 8pm Saturday there were, however, six new cases of COVID-19 in returned travellers, while a previously reported overseas case has been excluded.

There were 18,024 tests reported to 8pm Saturday, compared with the previous day's total of 22,153.

"We thank the community for their strong response to calls for testing and continue to urge everyone in NSW with even the mildest symptoms - such as headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat or runny nose - to come forward immediately for testing, then isolate until you receive a negative result," NSW Health said in a statement.

"High testing rates are vital for detecting any unidentified chains of transmission in the community as early as possible."

A full list of venues of concern connected with the two recent locally acquired cases is available on the NSW Government website.

There are more than 300 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW. To find your nearest clinic, visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/how-to-protect-yourself-and-others/clinics or contact your GP.