Seven new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in the 24 hours to 8pm last night bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 3,451.

There were a record 36,169 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 24,640 in the previous 24 hours.

The seven new cases are:

• six people associated with the Thai Rock restaurant cluster
• one case who has no identified source.

Of the six Thai Rock cluster cases, three are linked to Our Lady of Lebanon church, and three are close contacts of other cases, including two at a work place.

A previously reported case visited Costco at Marsden Park for 3 hours on 19 July from 11am to 2pm. Other patrons who were present at that time are encouraged to seek testing if they develop symptoms.

There were no new cases linked to the Crossroads Hotel today. There are now 56 cases associated with the Crossroads Hotel cluster, 52 cases associated with the Thai Rock restaurant and eight cases associated with the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club.

Given the current context of local transmission, NSW Health has directed all public hospitals that health workers must now wear a surgical mask if they are within 1.5m of patients.

Patients are also required to wear a mask, where possible. This advice applies to hospital and community health settings and comes into effect today.

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.

A full list of COVID-19 testing clinics is available or people can visit their GP.

If people have been directed to undertake a full 14 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 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 or attended affected venues.

There are 96 COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health, with three 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

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

Returned travellers in hotel quarantine to date

Watch the video update.