NSW coronavirus: New infections at Newmarch aged care home

NSW continues to flatten the curve with just five new COVID-19 cases reported in 24 hours from 8800 tests. It comes as NSW deploys rapid testing kits, allowing high-risk patients to get test results in an hour.

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In a heartening sign NSW continues to flatten the curve, just five new cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in the past 24 hours out of 8809 tests.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said it was the second highest rate of testing recorded across NSW since the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis. There were no new deaths.

The highest day — March 27 — saw 8835 tests completed but a massive 212 positive cases.

“We have seen a 40-times better outcome for our community since the end of March,” Mr Hazzard said.

NSW Health Minister, Brad Hazzard, gives COVID-19 update on May 2.

Of the five new cases, two were staff members at the virus-plagued Newmarch aged care facility, two were from unknown sources and one is still under investigation.

Of the 209 people being treated by NSW Health, about 75 per cent in out-of-hospital care. Fourteen were in intensive care and 12 of those required ventilators.

It was also announced that NSW had secured more US-manufactured rapid testing kits.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) kits had been in use in priority regional areas where clusters of concern were identified and will now be rolled out to 29 additional labs.

COVID-19 swab tests have been widely used but a new rapid testing kit will allow results to be turned around in an hour instead of up to two days. Picture: David Swift.

The tests allow high risk patients to receive their COVID-19 test results within an hour, instead of 24- 48 hours.

“The faster we can isolate higher risk patients and quarantine their contacts, the less likely they can unknowingly spread it to others,” Mr Hazzard said.

“On average, test results are being processed in less than 48 hours from the far corners of this vast state which is an achievement in itself, given the issues with flights and logistics.

“Now we will have even more vital hours up our sleeve, which will allow us to speed up our contract tracing efforts to map and isolate known contacts of cases.”

NSW Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant has urged anyone with the mildest symptoms to come forward and be tested for COVID-19.

MASS TESTING CRITICAL TO SLOW VIRUS

Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the challenge for NSW was to maintain high testing rates in order to identify potential clusters early.

NSW has among the highest testing rates in Australia and the world, with 235,894 people tested across the state — 232,863 of which were negative.

The new, rapid PCR testing kits currently in use in NSW Health Pathology laboratories in Broken Hill, Wagga Wagga, Orange, Coffs Harbour and Tamworth, will begin being used in and 29 more labs across the state from next week.

The technology used for the rapid testing kit is already in use for the testing of influenza and other respiratory viruses.

Another two staff members at Sydney’s Newmarch House nursing home have tested positive for COVID-19 following the deaths of 13 residents. Picture: Getty

NEWMARCH INFECTIONS INVESTIGATED

Possible breaches of infection control at Newmarch ages care facility are being investigated by NSW Health after two more staff members tested positive for COVID-19 overnight.

There have been 61 cases at the nursing home near Penrith since the outbreak on April 11.

NSW health has deployed two infection control nurses to the facility to review its procedures.

“We’ve clearly seen transmission that on the surface looks like there’s been breaches in infection control among particularly the staff,” NSW chief medical officer Kerry Chant said.

“And that’s obviously a concern. There have been some elements where consistent application of infection control practice has not occurred.”

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Anglicare Sydney said in a statement on Saturday it was investigating the two new cases after three residents also tested positive on Thursday.

“Additional positive cases associated with Newmarch House are very distressing for our staff, our residents, and their families.”

The facility, which has been criticised by residents’ relatives for a lack of communication, has started window visits with residents so they can talk with visitors.

“We are further improving our pastoral care for residents and their families by offering access to Anglicare Sydney’s counselling and chaplaincy services as well as continuing the successful window visits between residents and families,” Anglicare Sydney said in the statement.

Flower out the Newmarch aged care home in Caddens where 13 people have died.

PREMIER URGES WEEKEND VIRUS TESTING

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has urged people with even the mildest symptoms to come forward for COVID-19 testing this weekend when testing number usually drop.

It comes as restrictions eased in the state, allowing up to two adults and their dependent children to visit another household anywhere across the state.

Mr Hazzard said today he had also eased restrictions on people attending beauty salons to buy vouchers or other products.

NSW COULD ABOLISH STAMP DUTY

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet reportedly wants to abolish stamp duty and possibly payroll tax to help the state’s economy recover from coronavirus.

Mr Perrottet says scrapping inefficient taxes are part of his plan to restart a state economy facing 10 per cent unemployment by the end of 2020.

The treasurer has also foreshadowed a big fall in state budget revenue in 2021, but maintained he would prioritising the economy over NSW’s finances.

Originally published as NSW coronavirus: New infections at Newmarch aged care home