Updated March 27, 2020 15:32:47

Photo: Images of massive crowds at Bondi Beach went viral online last week.
(AAP: John Fotiadis )

Sydney's eastern suburbs have become a hotspot for coronavirus and recorded the highest number of positive cases in the state, according to the latest NSW Health data.

The Waverley local government area (LGA), which includes the suburbs of Bondi, Bronte, Tamarama and Vaucluse, has 105 of the total 1,405 cases of COVID-19 in NSW.

Nearby, the leafy Woollahra LGA, which includes many of Australia's most expensive suburbs like Point Piper, Paddington and Double Bay, has had 66 confirmed coronavirus infections to be fourth.

The Sydney CBD (69 infections) and the affluent northern beaches LGA (68 infections) are also in the top four.

Last week, NSW Health revealed there had been a coronavirus outbreak among a group of backpackers in the Bondi area after the virus spread between several tourists who attended two back-to-back parties on March 15.

The first party was at the Bucket List at the Bondi Pavilion and the other was at Club 77 in Darlinghurst.

Meanwhile, last Friday and Saturday, thousands of people packed Bondi Beach, drawing criticism from around the world, and left Waverley Council with no choice but to close all its beaches.

Waverley Mayor Paula Masselos said additional spots in the area had been closed in response to the high rates of COVID-19 in the LGA, including Bronte ocean pool, all outdoor gym stations and Waverley playgrounds.

"I've also had a lot of people asking me what we are doing about the backpacker hostels in the area," Ms Masselos said in a statement.

She said staff were carrying out on-site inspections to ensure backpacker hostels were complying with planning approvals, and issuing fact sheets from NSW Health.

However, Ms Masselos said council staff were "awaiting advice from NSW Health on their backpacker strategy".

She said Waverley Council had now received complaints of high numbers on the popular Bondi to Bronte coastal walk, which remained open.

"There are people in the community who want to make the most of our beloved coastal walk during this time, but it's not safe if people aren't practising social distancing," she said.

Bill Bowtell AO, an adjunct professor and strategic health policy consultant at the University of New South Wales, said while it was unacceptable for people to be out and about at close proximity, backpackers were no safer in their accommodation.

"They are in hostels with many to a room," he said in a tweet.

"It's hard if not impossible to get home and [they are] not communicated with in non-English languages."

Topics: government-and-politics, health, respiratory-diseases, covid-19, diseases-and-disorders, sydney-2000, nsw

First posted March 27, 2020 14:27:47