At about 11.30am on Monday, August 30, officers were conducting proactive patrols on Optimism Street at Leppington, as part of ongoing COVID-19 compliance checks, when they observed five men sitting at a table on the footpath.

None of the men were wearing face masks.

A police spokesman said: "Officers stopped and spoke to the men, who revealed they had tested positive to COVID-19 in rural NSW and had been ordered to self-isolate for 14 days after being escorted back to Sydney last Monday (August 23).

"Following inquiries, all five men - aged 23, 25, 26, 31 and 32 - were issued $5000 Penalty Infringement Notices (PIN) for not comply with noticed direction re s 7/8/9 - COVID-19.

"The men were escorted back to the premises to continue their mandatory isolation."

Police have confirmed these were the same men who caused a "small cluster" of COVID to break out in Orange.

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