NOVEL CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) ALERT

Sydney (Tribune International, NSW Health Release, 26 July 2020): Fourteen new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in the 24 hours to 8.00pm last night, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 3,479.

Credit: outdoors NSW

Four of the new cases attended the following funeral and related church services in south western Sydney between 16 and 19 July. Everyone who attended these events is now considered a close contact and must isolate, get tested for COVID-19 regardless of any symptoms, and continue to self-isolate for 14 days even if the test is negative. If symptoms develop get tested again. Testing is available at COVID clinics and through GPs across the state, including at Fairfield Hospital and Fisher Street carpark, Cabramatta drive-through clinic.

The services attended were:

  • 16 July St Brendan’s Catholic Church Bankstown for one hour from 6.30pm
  • 17 July Ausia Funeral Services at Fairfield East between 1pm and 8pm
  • 18 July Funeral service at St Brendan’s Catholic Church Bankstown for one hour from 10am
  • 18 July Burial service at St John of God Lawn at Rookwood between 11.30-1pm
  • 19 July Our Lady of Mt Carmel at Mt Pritchard for one hour from 7.30am
Confirmed cases (incl. interstate residents in NSW health care facilities) 3,479
Deaths (in NSW from confirmed cases) 51
Total tests carried out 1,353,103

There were 25,139 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with the record 30,535 in the previous 24 hours.

Of the remaining ten new cases reported to 8pm last night:

  • Six are associated with the Thai Rock restaurant cluster, including two linked to Our Lady of Lebanon church
  • Three are returned travellers
  • One is under investigation

There were no new cases today linked to the Crossroads Hotel or the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club. There are now 56 cases associated with the Crossroads Hotel cluster, 67 cases associated with the Thai Rock restaurant (including 11 associated with Our Lady of Lebanon Church), and eight cases associated with the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club.

While most cases have been linked to known clusters, community transmission continues and NSW Health is calling on people across the state to redouble their efforts to stop the virus spreading.

Key messages for the community are:

  • Avoid non-essential travel and gatherings. Of particular concern is transmission in venues such as hotels and restaurants, the gym and social gatherings.
  • Anyone feeling unwell – even with the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat – must seek testing and self-isolate until they get the result. Stay at home, and do not go to work or catch public transport until you are cleared of COVID-19
  • At all times stay 1.5 m from other people. Don’t go anywhere there is crowding.
  • Clean your hands regularly with soap and running water for 20 seconds or use alcohol base hand rub.
  • Cough and sneeze into your elbow.
  • Don’t host, or go to, a gathering of more than 10 people at home.
  • Don’t go to the gym unless the equipment is thoroughly cleaned before and after customer use by supervising staff or yourself, and there is good spacing between machines and customers.
  • Consider using a mask in situations where you are unable to social distance, particularly indoors.

A full list of COVID-19 testing clinics is available below, and people can visit their GP: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/clinics.aspx

If people have been directed to undertake a 14-day self-isolation period, they must stay in isolation for the full period, even if they undertake a test that comes back negative. This is because early testing may not detect an infection, and release from self-isolation based on a negative test could allow an infectious person to infect others in the community.  The self-isolation period is 14 days as most people who are infected and develop symptoms will develop symptoms within 14 days of infection.

People who work in high-risk settings such as healthcare facilities or aged care homes must not attend work if they have symptoms and must get tested immediately. People should also not visit relatives in these settings if they have even the mildest of symptoms or have recently returned from Victoria or attended affected venues.

There are 99 COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health, with four in intensive care. One is being ventilated and on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). In NSW, 2,799 people are known to have recovered from COVID-19. 

Confirmed cases to date:

By likely source of infection: Count
Overseas 2,012
Interstate acquired 76
Locally acquired – contact of a confirmed case and/or in a known cluster 1,022
Locally acquired – contact not identified 368
Under investigation 1
Total 3,479

Counts reported for a particular day may vary over time with ongoing enhanced surveillance activities. 

Returned travellers in hotel quarantine to date:

Since 29 March 2020: Count
Symptomatic travellers tested 4,114
Found positive 119
Since 30 June 2020: Count
Asymptomatic travellers screened at a day 2 8,080
Found positive 54
Since 15 May 2020: Count
Asymptomatic travellers screened at a day 10 21,713
Found positive 111

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