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.”
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.