Greater Sydney residents will be required to wear masks in certain indoor settings from midnight on Saturday night.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the measure on Saturday morning along with several other coronavirus restrictions, as the state recorded seven new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases.
People in Greater Sydney will have to wear masks at supermarkets, shopping centres, cinemas and indoor entertainment venues, on public transport, in beauty salons and hairdressers, places of worship and gaming areas.
"None of this will be a surprise," the premier said.
"We have already strongly recommended mask wearing in these settings, but what we want to do is to make sure we're not in a situation where we're restricting people's ability to go about their business."
Compliance will start from Monday, 4 January, with individuals facing a $200 on-the-spot fine if they fail to wear a mask as required.
Children under 12 are exempt but are encouraged to wear masks where possible.
State Opposition Leader Jodi McKay welcomed the mask mandate and said the premier had been "dragged" into the decision "because of mounting pressure from health experts, epidemiologists, doctors and frontline health workers".
The Australian Medical Association, which has long been calling for the move, said it was an important decision.
"This is ... an acknowledgment that wearing face masks is one of our simplest weapons against the spread of coronavirus," AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid said.
No nightclubs, gyms and weddings capped
Greater Sydney residents - those in Wollongong, Central Coast and Blue Mountains - will also have a range of other restrictions imposed from midnight.
Gym classes have been reduced to 30 people from 50, while places of worship, weddings and funerals will be capped at 100 people and have a one person per four square metre rule imposed.
Night clubs have been banned entirely.
Outdoor performances and protests will be reduced to a maximum of 500 people, and seated, ticketed and enclosed outdoor gatherings have been reduced to 2000 people.
In relation to the third cricket test at the SCG, Ms Berejiklian said health officials, police and event organisers would do a walk-through to go over the event's COVID-safe plan, and NSW Health would make adjustments on whether any adjustments are needed.
The restrictions do not affect regional NSW, only Greater Sydney, but Ms Berejiklian urged all residents and visitors across the state to "practise COVID safe behaviours and get tested even if symptoms are mild".
Residents in the southern half of the northern beaches will also be now considered part of Greater Sydney from midnight, while stay-at-home orders applying to residents north of the Narrabeen Bridge will continue until at least 9 January.
It comes as the state recorded seven new cases of COVID-19 community transmission, and another 12 cases in returned travellers in hotel quarantine.
Five of the locally-acquired cases are from western and south-western Sydney and are linked to the Berala cluster, which now totals seven with the original source of infection a man in his 40s.
One new infection is still under investigation after 32,000 tests were conducted in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday.
Three cases of community transmission were reported on Friday while the state government is still urging western Sydney residents from Greystanes, Auburn, Berala and Lidcombe with even the mildest of symptoms to get tested.
NSW Health expanded its on Friday evening, saying anyone who visited BWS in Berala between 22 and 31 December must get tested immediately and isolate.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Please check the relevant guidelines for your state or territory: , , , , , , , .
If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, stay home and arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
