Ten new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 3,672.
There were 31,681 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 24,421 in the previous 24 hours.
Of the 10 new cases reported to 8pm last night:
One of today’s cases is a student of Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook and one is a household contact of this student. A total of three cases are now associated with the school – the first case, in a student, was reported yesterday.
For the health and safety of the Tangara students, staff and the wider community, the school’s secondary campus will close until Friday 21 August (inclusive). The junior campus will close until Tuesday 12 August, but will re-open on Wednesday 12 August for those students whose parents have challenges and need to send their children to school.
All students, staff and support staff at the secondary school have been advised to get tested for COVID-19 and self-isolate immediately until Friday 21 August, even if a negative test result is returned.
Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta, will be closed for on-site learning on Monday and cleaning and contact tracing is being undertaken, after a student tested positive for COVID-19.
A healthcare worker who has tested positive for COVID-19 worked one shift while infectious at Hornsby Hospital’s emergency department, from 11am to midnight on Thursday 6 August.
The staff member became unwell after their shift and immediately self-isolated and got tested. The staff member had been wearing a mask at all times while in contact with patients.
Staff who have had contact with the healthcare worker have been identified and instructed to self- isolate for 14 days. There is no impact on the services being provided by the emergency department.
Members of the public who attended the emergency department between 11am and midnight on Thursday and who had contact with the healthcare worker are currently being identified and notified.
The healthcare worker is a household contact of another case reported today.
Customers who attended Bunnings, Campbelltown, on Tuesday 4 August, Wednesday 5 August and Thursday 6 August should be alert for symptoms of COVID-19 and if even mild symptoms occur, to get tested and isolate themselves, after an employee at the store tested positive for COVID-19.
For a list of locations associated with known cases and advice on testing and isolation, see NSW Government - Latest news and updates.
Of the known clusters, four cases reported today are linked to the funeral events in Bankstown and surrounding suburbs. There are now:
While most cases in the past week have been associated with local clusters and close contacts with known cases, 11 cases have not been linked to known cases, indicating that COVID-19 is circulating in the community. It’s extremely important we all play our part in prevention.
There are currently 111 COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health. There are eight COVID-19 patients in intensive care and six are ventilated. Eighty-five per cent of cases being treated by NSW Health are in non-acute, out-of-hospital care.
To help stop the spread of COVID-19:
A full list of COVID-19 testing clinics is available or people can visit their GP.
Isolation is mandatory for anyone identified as a close contact (not a casual contact) of a case. Anyone directed to undertake a 14-day self-isolation period must stay in isolation for the full time, even if they test negative. 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. Most people who are infected and develop symptoms will do so within 14 days of exposure.
Counts reported for a particular day may vary over time with ongoing enhanced surveillance activities.
Watch the video update.