NSW has recorded 20 new COVID-19 cases, the biggest number in three months, and the premier is urging residents to limit their activity and wear a mask in public if social distancing can't be guaranteed.
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Three of the cases reported in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday are linked to the Crossroads Hotel in Casula, bringing the total number of cases linked to the cluster to 48.
Eight new cases are linked to the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park, four are linked to the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, four are returned travellers in hotel quarantine and one is a person who has returned from Victoria.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Monday she was "incredibly concerned" and that NSW was at a critical point in the pandemic.
She said it was positive all the new cases were from known sources but urged people to "please consider avoiding crowds".
"If you cannot guarantee social distancing where you're going, if you cannot guarantee people around you will respect that social distancing, you must wear a mask."
"We do have the chance to really get ahead of the virus, to control the spread if all of us take those extra steps this week," she told reporters in Sydney.
"If we get through the next three or four weeks the way we have we will be able to have medium to long term surety that NSW can keep moving forward but if we slide backwards that means all of us will need to face situations we shouldn't have to."
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said there were 96 people being treated for coronavirus with two patients in intensive care including a person in their 30s.
"It's important to highlight that because often we tend to say it affects the elderly but there will still be young people that are impacted," she told reporters in Sydney.
It comes as NSW from midnight on Tuesday will enforce tougher coronavirus border restrictions for people wanting to enter from Victoria.
A border zone will be set up along the Murray River and all current travel permits will be cancelled while residents in the border zone who wish to move between the states will have to reapply.
Travel will only be allowed for work, education, medical care, supplies or health services.
If NSW residents travel beyond the border zone into Victoria, they will have to self-isolate for two weeks when they return.
From Monday afternoon, border residents will be able to check online to see if their address falls within the new restrictions.
Among the changed permit requirements, staff or students of boarding schools or universities must self-isolate for two weeks and obtain a negative swab before attending school.
Seasonal workers from Victoria are also banned from entering NSW.
It comes as Victoria on Monday recorded 275 new coronavirus cases with masks to be mandatory for people in living in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire from Thursday.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday said he understands Ms Berejikian's decision to tighten the border restrictions.
The tougher moves come as NSW students returned to school on Monday.
Transport and Roads Minister Andrew Constance said 3300 extra services added to the state's public transport network in June would continue as about 200,000 NSW students return to the classroom.
Meanwhile, Sutherland Local Court has been closed for cleaning after a person who attended last Wednesday tested positive for COVID.19.
The Department of Communities and Justice in a statement on Monday said the case was still under investigation with further testing underway, but they were closing and forensically cleaning the court as a precaution.
Australian Associated Press
