Mr Toole had been working in NSW Parliament since Monday and was due to return to Bathurst on Thursday afternoon, but that changed after the NSW Agriculture Minister tested positive.

Although he did not have direct contact with the minister, Mr Toole said he was deemed a close contact because they had been at the same function.

"There was a function that was held in parliament on Tuesday night," he said.

"Even at the function, I was at the other end of the room, but because this Delta variant is so contagious, NSW Health is actually taking extreme precautions to ensure it doesn't see the spread occurring.

"The worst thing for me would be to see the virus in our community, which is why I've made the decision to self-isolate here in Sydney."

Mr Toole isolated in his office at Parliament House on Thursday and, after testing negative, went directly to a hotel, where he will spend the next two weeks.

He will be tested again on day seven and on day 12, only being released from his hotel on day 14 if he tests negative both times.

READ ALSO: 22 new COVID cases in NSW, four Sydney areas in lockdown

The stay in hotel quarantine comes right at the start of the school holidays, when the Toole family was hoping to spend some quality time together.

While he'll miss that time, Mr Toole said it was a small price to pay to keep his family and the community safe.

"Being here 24 hours a day is going to be testing, but I'm not the first person whose had to do this and I won't be the last person. Like the thousands of other people who are self-isolating, it's all about containing the spread of this virus," he said.

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