Australia's Covid-19 response committee is due to hold an emergency meeting as outbreaks of the highly-contagious Delta variant across the country.
Fifteen of the new cases are linked to the Bondi cluster. Photo: AFP
About 18 million Australians, or around 70 percent of the population, are now under some form of lockdown or Covid-19-related restrictions as officials grapple with Covid-19 flare-ups in almost every state or territory.
New South Wales recorded 18 new Covid-19 infections, bringing the total number of locally acquired cases in the state's current outbreak to 130 since the first case was detected nearly two weeks ago in a limousine driver who transported an overseas airline crew.
"I think we are entering a new phase of this pandemic, with the more contagious Delta strain," federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told ABC this afternoon, adding Australia was facing a "critical time" in its fight against Covid-19.
The national security committee, chaired by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, will be briefed by the country's chief medical officer later this afternoon, Frydenberg said.
Sydney, Australia's most populous city and home to a fifth of Australia's 25 million people, was plunged into a two-week lockdown over the weekend.
Fifteen of the new cases were linked to the Bondi cluster and two were close contacts of a previously reported unlinked case.
Investigations were under way into a mystery case, which authorities believed to be a possible Westfield Bondi Junction exposure.
More than 59,000 tests were conducted over the 24 hours to 8pm (local time).
"We have to be prepared for the numbers to bounce around and we have to be prepared for the numbers to go up considerably," Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in the state capital Sydney.
"With this strain, we are seeing almost 100 percent transmission within households."
The northern city of Darwin entered a two-day lockdown on Sunday, prompted by the detection of the Delta variant of the virus - unrelated to the Sydney outbreak - in a fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) gold mine worker after he had left the facility.
Queensland state today reintroduced mandatory masks and limited home gatherings in several areas, including state capital Brisbane, following a similar move by Western Australia officials for state capital Perth. Restrictions remain in place in Victoria state capital Melbourne and national capital Canberra.
A health alert was issued over the weekend for hundreds of passengers after an infected Virgin Australia cabin crew member worked on five different flights covering Brisbane, Melbourne and Gold Coast.
Australia has so far fared much better than many other developed countries in tackling the spread of the coronavirus, with just over 30,450 cases and 910 deaths.
Lockdowns, tough social distancing rules and swift contact tracing have helped the country successfully suppress prior outbreaks but the fast moving Delta variant has alarmed health authorities.
- ABC