People who have been in greater Sydney in the past 14 days and travelling to Newcastle and the Hunter Region must now wear masks in public.
But travellers arriving and departing from the Newcastle Transport Interchange on Friday were confused and had been given conflicting advice by Transport For NSW staff.
Colin — arriving in Newcastle from Woy Woy, which is part of the Greater Sydney region — was told by Transport For NSW officials a mask was not needed.
"I thought we still have to have one on, but no one's got any on," Colin said.
According to the NSW Government website, the Greater Sydney region includes the Central Coast, Shellharbour, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.
Marilyn and Craig — travellers from an area south of Sydney — were boarding a train home that would travel through Central Station.
"We're very well aware of mask-wearing down there."
The couple had both been in Greater Sydney in the past 14 days but were not wearing masks on Friday in Newcastle.
They were not aware they would be required to wear masks after travelling through Central Station in the Sydney CBD.
The NSW Government website says about face masks: If you are in Greater Sydney or you have been in Greater Sydney in the last 14 days you must wear a face mask
- Over your nose and mouth and
- When you are indoors at non-residential premises, including workplaces.
Hunter New England Health's Dr Craig Dalton said people visiting Newcastle and the Hunter Region needed to be "aware and alert that there is quite a lot of COVID transmission occurring in Sydney".
"This [Delta variant] is a very, very infectious virus and we're still learning a lot about it," Dr Dalton told ABC Newcastle Breakfast.
Speaking before lockdowns began in the Waverley, Woollahra, Randwick and City of Sydney local government areas, Dr Dalton said it was time for people in the Greater Sydney regions to reconsider travel.
"There's a general discouragement of people going into Greater Sydney too.
"We're really asking people to reconsider that travel [into Sydney] for the school holidays and to stay put."
He restated NSW Government advice that people who have been in Greater Sydney in the past two weeks should wear a mask in public places and businesses.
"Please put a mask on," Dr Dalton said.
"We know that masks are very protective against transmission, so this is a really important rule.
"I think we need to thank people who are putting masks on rather than be concerned. It's the right thing to do."
