Five new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 3,289 after one previously reported case was excluded after an expert panel review.

Of today’s new cases, two are returned travellers in hotel quarantine and three, outlined yesterday, are close contacts of the man from the Blue Mountains who visited Crossroads Hotel in Casula on the evening of Friday 3 July. They are isolating.

NSW Health can advise more than 400 people were tested for COVID-19 at the Crossroads Hotel pop-up testing clinic yesterday. The public are thanked for their strong support of this testing which is playing a crucial role in identifying new cases. A teenager who lives in South Western Sydney and is a staff member at the Crossroads Hotel tested positive for COVID-19 late last night. The teenager’s case will be included in the case numbers tomorrow.

NSW Health is expanding the call for any visitors who visited the Crossroads Hotel, Casula between Friday 3 July to 10 July to immediately self-isolate for 14 days, come forward for testing and monitor for symptoms.

To ease demand on the pop-up clinic, extended-hours testing is available at Liverpool, Campbelltown and Fairfield Hospitals at these locations​. Testing is also available through GP clinics. The pop-up clinic in the carpark of the hotel is open until 5pm today.

We are at a critical point on the fight to contain the COVID-19. It is absolutely essential the community works together to limit the spread of the virus, by always maintaining good hand hygiene, adhering to physical distancing rules whenever possible and getting tested whenever symptoms occur, however mild.

It’s essential that we all take the risk of transmission very seriously and take steps to protect ourselves and loved ones:

• If you have even mild symptoms, a cold or cough, get tested and stay home until you’re cleared.
• Keep your distance from others at all times even if you are well.
• If you have been in Victoria, don’t mix with other people until two weeks has passed.

People who work in high-risk settings such as health care facilities or aged care homes must not to 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.

Additional testing clinics have also been set up in border areas and traveller areas of high demand. Increase in demand for testing is specifically expected at Victorian traveller locations (i.e. Byron Bay, Ballina, Merimbula & NSW Ski fields), Victorian border locations (Albury) & Newcastle.

A total of 14,975 tests were notified in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 16,748 tests in the previous 24 hours. There are 72 COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health, with one in intensive care. This person does not require a ventilator. In NSW, 2,799 people are known to have recovered from COVID-19.

Anyone feeling unwell – even with the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat – is urged to seek testing and self-isolate. Do not go to work or catch public transport until you are cleared of COVID-19. A full list of COVID-19 testing clinics is available or people can visit their GP. It is essential people follow directions they receive about home isolation and quarantine and maintain COVID-safe practices of physical distancing of 1.5 metres, cough or sneeze into their elbow, and regularly wash their hands.

Confirmed ca​​ses to date

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

Returned travellers in hotel quarantin​e to date

Watch the video update.