NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
Two new cases were acquired overseas, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,947.
There were 13,088 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day's total of 14,518.
While this is the 27th consecutive day with no reported locally acquired cases, in light of the current situation in Victoria, it is vital that we maintain vigilance.
A high rate of testing is one of our best defences against undetected cases in the community that could create new chains of transmission. If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, please do not delay; get tested immediately and isolate until you receive a negative result.
Under the provisions of a Public Health Order amendment signed last night, anyone who arrived in NSW from Victoria from midnight last night must comply with the five-day stay-at-home requirements in the order. People subject to the order are permitted to leave their place of residence if they have a reasonable excuse. Reasonable excuses include: shopping for essential items, medical and other care and caregiving, outdoor exercise, emergencies and essential work.
This supersedes the advice issued in a previous announcement yesterday, that anyone in NSW who had been in Victoria at any time on or after 29 January would be subject to a stay at home order. This change, to make the measures apply to those arriving from midnight last night, was made following advice from the NSW Chief Health Officer and reflects an updated assessment of the risk involved and recognition of the other public health measures introduced in NSW.
For NSW residents living in the border region, the stay-at-home requirement does not apply. The border region is defined as the same area covered by the border 'bubble' in place in late November last year.
Other people in NSW who have been in Victoria in the past two weeks are asked to monitor the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services website for updated information on venues of concern, and to follow the advice provided if they have visited any of those sites. Currently, different advice applies according to which of these places people may have attended, reflecting the assessed risk.
Anyone who was in Terminal 4 (Jetstar) of Melbourne Airport on Tuesday 9 February between 4:45am and 2pm is considered a close contact as an infectious person worked in a public facing role at the terminal. Anyone in this situation is asked to get tested and remain in isolation for 14 days regardless of the test result.
As a precautionary approach reflecting the lower risk from another infectious person who worked at the airport but was not in a public facing role, anyone who was at any terminal in Melbourne Airport on Sunday 7 or Monday 8 February is asked to get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.
Meanwhile, NSW contact tracers have sent text messages to all of the approximately 7,000 people who attended any of these Melbourne Airport terminals from 7 to 9 February, and who arrived in NSW, to inform them of the situation and provide the relevant health advice. By this morning, three-quarters of those who had been in Terminal 4 have been spoken to directly, with calls to the remainder continuing.
NSW strongly advises against all non-essential travel to Victoria at this time. People subject to the restrictions in Victoria should not be travelling to NSW unless they are permitted to do so.
There are more than 350 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW, many of which are open seven days a week. To find your nearest clinic visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/how-to-protect-yourself-and-others/clinics or contact your GP.
NSW Health is treating 36 COVID-19 cases, none of whom are in intensive care. Most cases (97 per cent) are being treated in non-acute, out-of-hospital care, including returned travellers in the Special Health Accommodation.
Note: Case counts reported for a particular day may vary over time due to ongoing investigations and case review.
*notified from 8pm 11 February 2021 to 8pm 12 February 2021
**from 8pm 6 February 2021 to 8pm 12 February 2021
* Testing previously carried out on day 10 is now carried out on day 12.
COVID-19 Update 13 February 2021