Coronavirus: Virus cases rise in NSW, but no new deaths
NSW has recorded a further 174 patients with COVID-19, taking its total number of confirmed cases to 1791, including 207 without a known source of transmission. Police, meanwhile, say new plans to quarantine all international arrivals in hotels for two weeks have kicked off without incident. FOLLOW OUR LIVE UPDATES
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard says 24 people are currently in intensive care with COVID-19 but no new deaths have been reported overnight, with the state toll remaining at eight.
Among the new COVID-19 cases are two teachers and a student from Normanhurst West Public School and a staff member at the hospital inside Long Bay prison.
The number of cases diagnosed in Australia from the Ruby Princess cruise ship has spiked to 215 - with 189 of those cases diagnosed in NSW - after passengers disembarked without adequate checks.
Mr Hazzard has again urged people to follow the guidelines to self-isolate and take precautions around social distancing.
“We have still thousands of people coming in, our citizens and permanent residents, returning from some of the most dangerous places in the world for COVID-19,” he said on Sunday.
“To have this measure will hopefully make a huge difference to ensuring those people are not out and about in the community until they are appropriately checked and quarantined.“The entire world has an enemy that is moving through it, an unseen enemy that doesn’t have borders.”
Health Minister Brad Hazzard. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty
Coronavirus cases in NSW without a known source of transmission on Sunday lifted from 170 to 207. This is the primary statistic by which authorities are gauging the success of shutdown measures in halting the virus’ spread.
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller on Sunday said of those who have arrived at Sydney Airport on Sunday, about 30 reported respiratory symptoms.
About 2500 people are expected to arrive in Sydney on Sunday, all of whom will be escorted by Australian Border Force personnel to their hotels.
“Normally it would take three to six months to plan an operation like this and we pulled this together in 24 hours,” Mr Fuller said.
NSW has stuck to the nationwide ban on outdoor gatherings exceeding 500 people and restricting indoor gatherings to no more than 100, with no more than one person per four square metres.
Ms Kahn said 173 food charities had also shut in recent weeks, mainly due to the health risk for older volunteers.
“Now where do new people, who have never needed food support, go?” she said.
Updates
'We are at war with an unseen enemy'
Jo Seymour
NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has urged people across NSW to behave “as if they have COVID-19”, declaring we are at “war” against an “unseen enemy”.
The number of COVID-19 patients in NSW increased by 174 on Sunday, with 1791 cases across the state.
Mr Hazzard said 24 cases are being treated in intensive care units and 12 of those require ventilators.
The majority of the state’s COVID-19 cases — 1110 — were acquired overseas.
On Sunday, there were 558 locally-transmitted cases of the disease, with 123 other cases still under investigation.
A staff member at Long Bay Prison Hospital was one of the newly- diagnosed cases on Sunday.
With NSW’s total number of coronavirus cases nearing 2000, Mr Hazzard urged people to stay at home and keep their distance from others.
"Listen to what you are being told. Again, it could be your life or your family's life," Mr Hazzard said.
Gatherings limited to two people from Monday
Jo Seymour
The new gathering rules will be introduced on Monday.
They apply to people who do not live in the same household, meaning families and housemates may still congregate in a group.
“Your household can be together inside your home and outside your home,” Mr Morrison said.
From Monday all outdoor public playgrounds, gyms and skate parks will be closed, while exercise boot camps are restricted to two people – a trainer and participant.
The limit for weddings remained at five people, while funerals can still have up to ten attendees.
Dial up a doctor from Monday
Jo Seymour
From tomorrow, all Australians will be able to stay at home and consult their doctor, nurse, psychologist or physiotherapist over the phone.
Medicare rebates have been extended to cover phone consults with a wide array of health workers to stop the spread of COVD-19 through medical waiting rooms.
The $669 million initiative will be available for GP services, medical specialists, nurse practitioners, mental health treatment, chronic disease management, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health assessments, services to people with eating disorders, pregnancy support counselling, services to patients in aged care facilities, children with autism, and after-hours consultations.
Baby in US dies from COVID-19
Jo Seymour
An infant in Chicago has died from the COVID-19 illness, officials in Illinois said today, marking an extremely rare case of juvenile death from the virus.
Governor JB Pritzker said “an infant” was among the fatalities linked to the coronavirus over the previous 24 hours.
The state Department of Public Health said the child was younger than one year and had tested positive for COVID-19.
“There has never before been a death associated with COVID-19 in an infant,” the department’s director Ngozi Ezike said in a statement.
Lockdown laws to be discussed at tonight's planning meeting
Twenty-four NSW COVID-19 patients are currently in intensive care in hospital, with 12 of those requiring a ventilator.
A total of 1,791 COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed in the state, as of 8pm last night, including interstate residents in NSW hospitals.
Of those, 160 people are currently being treated.
NSW Health statistics show 91,308 people have been tested and excluded from having the virus.
Recent overseas arrivals who are currently being isolated include 245 passengers from the Roald Amundsen and Scenic Eclipse cruises who flew to Sydney from South America and arrived late on Friday night.
As of 8pm last night, 189 COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed in NSW from the Ruby Princess cruise ship.
There are also 59 confirmed NSW cases from the Ovation of the Seas and 23 cases from the second cruise of the Voyager of the Seas.
Normanhurst West Public School has three diagnosed cases – two teachers and a student. Investigations into the outbreak are ongoing, close contacts have been isolated and the school has reopened.
12 NSW patients on ventilators
Jo Seymour
Twenty-four NSW COVID-19 patients are currently in intensive care in hospital, with 12 of those requiring a ventilator.
A total of 1,791 COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed in the state, as of 8pm last night, including interstate residents in NSW hospitals.
Of those, 160 people are currently being treated.
NSW Health statistics show 91,308 people have been tested and excluded from having the virus.
Recent overseas arrivals who are currently being isolated include 245 passengers from the Roald Amundsen and Scenic Eclipse cruises who flew to Sydney from South America and arrived late on Friday night.
As of 8pm last night, 189 COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed in NSW from the Ruby Princess cruise ship.
There are also 59 confirmed NSW cases from the Ovation of the Seas and 23 cases from the second cruise of the Voyager of the Seas.
Normanhurst West Public School has three diagnosed cases – two teachers and a student. Investigations into the outbreak are ongoing, close contacts have been isolated and the school has reopened.
Want some etiquette tips for your virtual work meetings?
Billy Freeman
By Annika Smethurst
Panic buying at supermarkets and cafe closures have crippled food charities that depend on donations to provide millions of meals to vulnerable Australians.
New statistics, provided exclusively to The Sunday Telegraph reveal Australia's leading food rescue charity Oz Harvest has seen a 25 per cent drop in donations.
The charity, which collects surplus food from major supermarket chains, caterers and cafes, said the decline is due to hospitality closures as well as a huge drop in the number of leftover products available at supermarkets.
OzHarvest chief executive and founder Ronni Kahn AO said she had "never seen anything like it" in her 16-year career with the charity.
“Our connection with the hospitality industry is vital, so to see it crumble means all the supplies we rely on to feed the vulnerable has closed off,” she said.
“We have already seen a huge surge in demand and are faced with the possibility of needing to help a million or more who will need support.”
Ms Kahn said 173 food charities had also shut in recent weeks, mainly due to the health risk for older volunteers.
“Now where do new people, who have never needed food support, go?” she said.
She said it was up to everyone, including the three tiers of government, to help.
Foodbank, which helps feed more than 800,000 people each month, has also suffered a 27 per cent drop in food donations, while experiencing a 50 per cent jump in demand.
Earlier this month, the federal government announced stimulus measures that included tax relief for 30,000 not-for-profits, including charities but The Sunday Telegraph understands the government is poised to announce a multi-million dollar assistance package to help food charities.
Labor’s homeless spokesman Jason Clare said charities are suffering a “perfect storm”.
Panic buying hurting food charities
Jo Seymour
By Annika Smethurst
Panic buying at supermarkets and cafe closures have crippled food charities that depend on donations to provide millions of meals to vulnerable Australians.
New statistics, provided exclusively to The Sunday Telegraph reveal Australia's leading food rescue charity Oz Harvest has seen a 25 per cent drop in donations.
The charity, which collects surplus food from major supermarket chains, caterers and cafes, said the decline is due to hospitality closures as well as a huge drop in the number of leftover products available at supermarkets.
OzHarvest chief executive and founder Ronni Kahn AO said she had "never seen anything like it" in her 16-year career with the charity.
“Our connection with the hospitality industry is vital, so to see it crumble means all the supplies we rely on to feed the vulnerable has closed off,” she said.
“We have already seen a huge surge in demand and are faced with the possibility of needing to help a million or more who will need support.”
Ms Kahn said 173 food charities had also shut in recent weeks, mainly due to the health risk for older volunteers.
“Now where do new people, who have never needed food support, go?” she said.
She said it was up to everyone, including the three tiers of government, to help.
Foodbank, which helps feed more than 800,000 people each month, has also suffered a 27 per cent drop in food donations, while experiencing a 50 per cent jump in demand.
Earlier this month, the federal government announced stimulus measures that included tax relief for 30,000 not-for-profits, including charities but The Sunday Telegraph understands the government is poised to announce a multi-million dollar assistance package to help food charities.
Labor’s homeless spokesman Jason Clare said charities are suffering a “perfect storm”.
Social distancing in a nutshell
Georgia Clark
Social distancing and strict quarantine are our main weapons in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.
So what behaviours do we all need to adopt to prevent the spread of the virus?
Here's a useful graphic explaining what we can all do to help stop the spread.
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Mass graves are being dug in London as the UK tries to keep up with the rate of coronavirus deaths
Billy Freeman
NSW is fighting a “war” against the “unseen enemy” of COVID-19, the health minister says.
Brad Hazzard said everyone needs to heed the message from authorities to stay at home.
If people can’t stay home, they must practice social distancing, Mr Hazzard said.
“Every single person in New South Wales should be behaving today as if they have COVID-19, as if they have it.
“This is a war being fought on our shores, extensively, to every part of New South Wales and through every part of Australia.
“Listen to what you are being told. Again, it could be your life or your family's life,” he said.
“This is a war being fought on our shores, extensively, to every part of New South Wales and through every part of Australia.”
