NSW has recorded three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases as some Sydneysiders were ordered to don masks indoors amid the city's growing outbreak.
Two new local cases were reported in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday, one of which had been revealed by health authorities on Saturday. The other case is a close contact of the previously recorded case.
Another two additional cases in the southern Sydney shire of Sutherland were recorded after the 8pm deadline. They are both close contacts of previously reported cases.
It takes Sydney's eastern suburbs outbreak to nine cases, with the growing cluster prompting new mask-wearing rules.
Anyone shopping, working in hospitality or indoors must wear a mask unless eating or drinking if they live in the local government areas of Randwick, Bayside, Botany Bay, Inner West, City of Sydney, Waverley and Woollahra.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the government would also extend compulsory mask-wearing on public transport in Greater Sydney until Thursday and expand the order to Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas.
Late on Sunday, NSW Health released a list of 27 new exposure sites including a North Face outlet in Drummoyne. More causal sites are in Drummoyne along with others at Castle Hill, Merrylands, central Sydney and Hurstville.
Meanwhile, a flight attendant has tested positive for coronavirus in Brisbane despite undergoing the full 14 days of hotel quarantine.
The woman aged in her 30s arrived in Brisbane on June 5, on an Emirates flight that also transported a passenger with the more infectious Delta variant, although test results have not yet confirmed the attendant has it.
An outbreak of the Delta variant, which is the dominant variant in India and the UK, led to the recent lockdown in Victoria.
The Queensland government has listed exposure sites including Brisbane's airport DFO, the Brisbane CBD and a Portuguese family centre the woman visited on Saturday.
The new case comes as Queensland prepares to ease its virus restrictions on Friday, allowing more people to visit restaurants, cafes and bars, and more people allowed on reef charter boats.
Victoria reported no new local cases on Sunday but two possible "historical" infections from released returned travellers are under investigation.
State Health Minister Martin Foley said the pair had produced conflicting results on different testing platforms, with an expert panel convened to review their infections.
At the same time, the Victorian government announced a locally developed mRNA vaccine would become the first in Australia to move to phase one clinical trials later this year.
The Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences-led vaccine has received a $5 investment to manufacture doses for the trials, with results expected in the first half of 2022.
Commonwealth officials earlier this month told Senate estimates it could take up to four years to build a site to start manufacturing mRNA vaccines like the Pfizer and Moderna jabs.
Acting Premier James Merlino said Victoria had taken a "leadership position" on research and development to ensure the nation doesn't rely on overseas supply, which has crippled the vaccine rollout.
"This virus will be with us for quite some time. We may well need yearly booster vaccines in the years ahead," he said.
On Sunday, South Australia joined Queensland and imposed an immediate ban on travellers who have been in Sydney's Waverley Council area.
SA residents or anyone escaping domestic violence can enter, but will still need to self-quarantine for a fortnight.
The West Australian government is setting up COVID-19 testing clinics at Perth Airport's domestic terminals from Sunday to enforce new conditions imposed on travellers from NSW.
Despite the fresh local cases in NSW and Queensland, Premier Mark McGowan announced restrictions would ease for WA hospitality venues from Wednesday in a move that effectively returns the state to a pre-COVID existence.
