Call for masks to be made mandatory as Sydney cluster spreads

Masks should be made mandatory in NSW as soon as possible, infectious disease expert Associate Professor Sanjaya Senanayake told Today this morning.

His call for a mandate comes as contact tracers scramble to get on top of the Avalon cluster in the Northern Beaches, which has 68 confirmed cases linked to it.

In a bid to contain the outbreak NSW Health has implemented a five-day hard lockdown for residents living between the Spit Bridge and Manly and have introduced restrictions on household gatherings and hospitality venues across Greater Sydney.

READ MORE: Thousands flee NSW as states prepare to lock out Sydneysiders

Mr Senanayake believes the state should go one step further and make mask-wearing compulsory.

"We know that is a safe, effective, and cheap measure in reducing the transmission of COVID," he said.

"Masks should be made mandatory. We know from earlier in the year when masks were recommended, not mandated, a third of people wore masks.

"If you mandate it it is far likely to get a higher level of compliance. It is safe, effective and cheap and when we don't need masks any more you don't wear them."

Mr Senanayake is hopeful the outbreak can be contained but said the next few days will be critical in limiting the spread.

"NSW Health has a great track record in controlling clusters of COVID and they have been doing the right things and responded quickly so far, but COVID is really an unknown entity," he said.

"It will be these next few days that will dictate the direction of the outbreak. I don't think anyone really knows. We have to see what the numbers are."

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