19 August 2020

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 3,777.

CasesCount
Confirmed cases (including interstate residents in NSW health care facilities)3,777
Deaths (in NSW from confirmed cases)​​54
Total tests carried out1,876,936

There were 19,414 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 13,736 in the previous 24 hours.

Of the seven new cases reported to 8pm last night:

  • two are returned travellers in hotel quarantine – one from overseas and one from Victoria
  • five are locally acquired, including:
    • one who is a close contact of a previously reported case whose source is still under investigation
    • one case is from South Western Sydney whose source is currently under investigation, and one case is a household contact of this case
    • one case is from Western Sydney whose source is currently under investigation, and one case is a household contact of this case.

A case has been confirmed since the reporting period, in a patient who attended Liverpool Hospital. Close contacts have been identified and advised to isolate for 14 days, get tested for COVID-19 and monitor for symptoms. Deep cleaning has occurred in areas where the outpatient received care and additional precautionary measures have been taken. This includes COVID-19 testing for staff who worked on the same wards the patient received care when they were infectious. Links to other cases are being investigated.

If you have any cold or flu like symptoms at all, assume it’s COVID-19 until proven otherwise – isolate and get tested right away; don’t delay.

It is vital to maintain high rates of testing at this critical time, in order to find the source of these cases still under investigation. NSW Health is urging anyone with even the mildest of symptoms – including runny nose, sore throat, cough, or loss of taste and smell – to come forward for testing as the best way to protect their family, friends and wider community.

As has been reported previously, a case of COVID-19 worked at Flemington Markets while infectious. NSW Health is now advising that anyone who attended Flemington Markets at the following times should monitor for symptoms and self-isolate and get tested for COVID-19 if symptoms appear:

  • Sunday 9 August 8am to 4pm
  • Tuesday 11 August 10.30pm to 6am on Wednesday 12 Augus
  • Wednesday 12 August 10.30pm to 01:40am on Thursday 13 August

For a list of locations associated with known cases and advice on testing and isolation, and areas identified for increased testing and surveillance, see NSW Government - Latest new and updates.

There are currently 115 COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health. There are eight COVID‑19 patients in intensive care and five are ventilated. 87 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:

  • If you are unwell, stay in, get tested and isolate.
  • Wash your hands regularly. Take hand sanitiser with you when you go out.
  • Keep your distance. Leave 1.5 metres between yourself and others.
  • Wear a mask in situations where you cannot physically distance.

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

Anyone directed to undertake a 14-day self-isolation period must stay in isolation for the full 14 days, even if they test negative during this time. 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. People who are infected and develop symptoms will generally do so within 14 days of exposure.

Confirmed cases to date

By likely source of infectionCount
Overseas2,057
Interstate acquired88
Locally acquired – contact of a confirmed case and/or in a known cluster1,250
Locally acquired – contact not identified380
Under investigation​2
Total3,777

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 2020Count
Symptomatic travellers tested4,532
Fo​und positive121
Since 30​ June 2020Count
Asymptomatic travellers screened at a day 214,463
Found positive81
Since 15 May 2020Count
Asymptomatic travellers screened at a day 1027,887
Found positive119

Watch the video update.