26 March 2021

NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Three new cases were acquired overseas, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 5,089.

There were 9,904 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day's total of 10,158.

CasesCount
Confirmed cases (including interstate residents in NSW health care facilities) 5,089
Deaths (in NSW from confirmed cases) 56
Total tests carried out 5,300,051

NSW Health is treating 60 COVID-19 cases, none of whom are in ICU. Most cases (93 per cent) are being treated in non-acute, out-of-hospital care, including returned travellers in the Special Health Accommodation.

A number of COVID-19 restrictions will be eased from 12:01am on Monday 29 March. These include:

  • No caps on weddings and funerals;
  • No restrictions on singing including in places of worship;
  • No restriction on dancing including at weddings and in pubs and nightclubs;
  • No cap on visitors in the home (if there are more than 100 people there must be a COVID-19 Safety plan and electronic recording of visitor details);
  • 200 people allowed for personal outdoor public gatherings;
  • All venues to move to the one person per 2sqm rule (venues will be allowed at least 25 people before the 2sqm rule applies);
  • 100 per cent seated capacity at entertainment venues including stadiums and theatres, and;
  • Mask use including on public transport will move from 'mandatory' to 'strongly recommended'.

We thank the NSW community for continuing to adhere to COVID-safe behaviours, making the further easing of restrictions possible.

To keep the community safe, we need people to remain vigilant and to continue to take practical measures to stay COVID-safe. This includes always using QR codes to check in to venues, staying home if unwell and getting tested for COVID-19, and practising good hand hygiene.

If you have any respiratory symptoms, get tested right away and isolate until you get a negative result.

It is particularly important that you don't attend any venues, and anywhere there are vulnerable people, such as aged care homes and hospitals, or indoor venues where transmission is more likely to occur, such as nightclubs and gyms.

Businesses and other organisations must continue to ensure they keep accurate records of all attendances, through QR Codes, to enable fast contact tracing in the event of any COVID-19 transmission.

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 COVID-19 clinicsor contact your GP.

Likely source of confirmed COVID-19 cases in NSW

Likely source of infectionCases past 24 hours*Cases past 7 days**All case
Overseas 3222,910
Interstate 0090
Locally acquired – linked to known case or cluster 00
1,644
Locally acquired – no links to known case or cluster00445
Locally acquired – investigation ongoing 000
Under initial investigation000
Total 3225,089

Note: Case counts reported for a particular day may vary over time due to ongoing investigations and case review.

*notified from 8pm 24 March 2021 to 8pm 25 March 2021
**from 19 March 2021 to 8pm 25 March 2021

Returned travellers in hotel quarantine to date

Since 29 March 2020Count
Symptomatic travellers tested 11,225
Found positive 215
Since 30 June 2020Count
Asymptomatic travellers screened at day 2 87,553
Found positive550
From 15 May 2020 to 12 January 2021Count
Asymptomatic travellers screened at day 1079,623
Found positive182
Since 13 January 2021Count
Asymptomatic travellers screened at day 12*19,580
Found positive17

* Testing previously carried out on day 10 is now carried out on day 12.