Coronavirus NSW live updates: national COVID-19 cases hit 3400

Deputy chief medical officer Paul Kelly has confirmed national COVID-19 cases hit 3400 today, with  the US and the European regions, particularly the United Kingdom and Italy, the source of the majority of travel-related infections in Australia. FOLLOW ALL TODAY'S UPDATES LIVE

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In a clear indication the deadly coronavirus isn't a disease that only targets the elderly, the median age of Australia's 3400 confirmed coronavirus patients is 48, Deputy Chief Medical Examiner Paul Kelly has revealed.

Professor Kelly also announced the median age of the 14 deaths so far in Australia from the virus was 77, with eight recorded in NSW, three in Victoria, two in Western Australia and one in Queensland.

Just over two-thirds of all confirmed cases are travel-related, with the United States and Europe, particularly the UK and Italy, making up most of the numbers, he  said.

Almost 500 of those were cases associated with a cruise ship, such as the Ruby Princess, where 200 passengers have seen tested positive to COVID-19.

The large number of cases originating from overseas has forced the government to enforce strict new quarantine measures that come into effect tonight where all new arrivals will be forcibly isolated in hotels for 14 days.

"Because of this major issue of people coming from overseas countries, (who) were supposed to have been self isolating themselves at home for the last 14 days, we are now strengthening up to make it 14 days in a hotel directly from the airport," Prof Kelly said.

"And that will be enforced - the force of law will be there to stop people leaving that hotel and there will be fines, even imprisonment, depending on the state or territory where that arrival takes place."

Stay across the latest coronavirus news with our live blog below

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Updates

6:23 pm March 28, 2020

Cops warn about spike in coronavirus fake news

Nicole Cridland

Police have issued warnings on a spike in coronavirus misinformation spreading on social media amid false claims of fines being dished out to shoppers and motorists flouting 1.5 metre social distancing rules. Police said multiple reports of $1000 infringement notices being issued to drivers for carrying passengers unrelated to them were "incorrect" and leading to further confusion around the current health messaging.

Other claims circulating on social media have included police booking people at shopping centres and supermarkets for not aheadering to the distancing measures.
"Police only have authority to fine people for contravening self-isolation or for businesses and large gatherings that are breaching public health orders,” a NSW Police spokeswoman said.
“You cannot be fined for standing within 1.5m from someone in a supermarket or for being in a car with a passenger."Police said fines that can apply include $1000 to individuals and $5000 to businesses for breaches public health orders or ministerial directions.
Those in the firing line include returned travellers who contravene the requirement to self-quarantine for 14 days, people diagnosed with COVID-19 who don't follow the rules as well as outdoor gatherings of 500 people and indoor gatherings of 100 people.

3:35 pm March 28, 2020 Highlight

Community transmissions key focus for govt

Gillian Mcnally

Community transmissions in NSW currently stand at 170 and the government will be forced to implement stricter controls if they start to increase rapidly. "If we see those numbers of community-to-community transmission go up at a rate with which we're not comfortable with, we will have to put in stricter measures," Ms Berejiklian said.

"We'd rather hold off before we have to do that, but if we have to do that we will."

Ms Berejiklian said the vast majority of residents were adhering to strict social distancing requirements, but a small group who refused to follow the guidelines were putting the entire state at risk.

"There is still a proportion of the community who aren't doing the right thing and that's heartbreaking," she said.

"We don't want to have to make further decisions based on the irresponsible actions of a minority but it only takes a handful of people to do the wrong thing and have this thing spread."

– David Meddows

3:35 pm March 28, 2020 Highlight

Two confirmed cases at a Sydney childcare centre

Gillian Mcnally

Tough new social distancing measures could be forced upon NSW residents if the number of community transmissions of COVID-19 continues to rise.

The stark message from Premier Gladys Berejiklian came as the state reported an alarming spike in new coronavirus cases overnight, with a further 212 taking the total for NSW to 1617.

Among them are  two confirmed cases at a Sydney childcare centre – a two-year-old child and a childcare worker.

A three-year-old child who is a household contact of an overseas case has been confirmed with COVID-19. The child is in self-isolation.

A fourth case has been confirmed at the Opal Bankstown residential aged care facility.

While the majority of cases have been acquired overseas or through contact with known cases, there are a growing number of cases spread through community transmission which is the statistic authorities are most concerned about.

3:18 pm March 28, 2020

Inside the COVID-19 ICU ready for the pandemic

Gillian Mcnally

The Daily Telegraph went inside Royal Prince Alfred Hospital’s purpose-built “Red” COVID-19 intensive care unit to meet the doctors and nurses ­suiting up for battle.

Editor-at-large Matthew Benns and photographer Rohan Kelly were given special access to Australia’s frontline heroes already dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and braced for much worse to come.

Read their special report here.

Pictured: Intensive Care Specialist Dr Tim Southwood in the Red Covid-19 ICU's new specialist procedure room. Credit: Rohan Kelly

3:10 pm March 28, 2020

'We are well and truly ready'

Gillian Mcnally

Prof Kelly assured the Australian public the nation's healthcare system was "absolutely ready" for the pandemic.

"In terms of intensive care, we have doubled the capacity there and there are beds available right now with the ventilators right now to deal with people if they require it.

"It is a very small component of those now 3400 cases in Australia, as I mentioned. Only 30 in total.

"We have doubled the bed capacity in Australia right now and we are ready, well and truly ready, and we will not be seeing a peak on the 10 April, as has been reported in some places."

3:08 pm March 28, 2020 Highlight

US, Europe make up majority of travel-related cases

Gillian Mcnally

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly (pictured) is addressing the media in Canberra.

Prof Kelly said there was now 3400 cases of Covid-19 reported in Australia.

The median age is 48 years, the oldest patient is 98 and some small babies have developed this disease.

– 67% of confirmed cases remain travel related, that is people who have returned from overseas.

– of that group that have come from overseas, 496 of have come from cruise ships.

– of overseas cases, other than the cruise ships, the majority have come from the US or the European region, particularly the United Kingdom and Italy.

2:53 pm March 28, 2020

Accessing super – everything you need to know

Gillian Mcnally

Desperate Australians who will have to dip into their superannuation to make ends meet are being warned to carefully read the fine print before they do so.

It’s expected super fund members will be able to access their super from April 20 as the funds rush to implement the new systems to do it.

Here's what you should know before dipping in.

11:09 am April 13, 2020 Highlight

Ask the expert: Relationship advice

Georgia Clark

Hospitals have been forced to cable-tie hand sanitiser to the walls to stop thieving visitors stealing critical medical supplies.

Worse, masks and gloves have also been stolen, with some hospital staff declaring remaining stocks to be worryingly low.

The thefts are so widespread, some staff now have to ask permission for equipment or wear child-size masks to deal with potential infected patients.

Read the full story here

-Linda Silmaris

2:47 pm March 28, 2020 Highlight

Thieves force hospitals cable-tie sanitiser to walls

Hospitals have been forced to cable-tie hand sanitiser to the walls to stop thieving visitors stealing critical medical supplies.

Worse, masks and gloves have also been stolen, with some hospital staff declaring remaining stocks to be worryingly low.

The thefts are so widespread, some staff now have to ask permission for equipment or wear child-size masks to deal with potential infected patients.

Read the full story here

-Linda Silmaris

10:37 am April 13, 2020

Georgia Clark

A council-operated childcare centre in Liverpool has been closed for deep cleaning after a parent was diagnosed with COVID-19, as the number of people testing positive for the virus soars above 100 in the region.

Wattle Grove Early Education and Care Centre was closed on Wednesday and parents and caregivers were notified to collect their children.

The South Western Health District has recorded 111 cases of coronavirus, with 22 people in Liverpool testing positive as of 8pm on March 26. Eight of these were locally acquired cases with an unknown source of infection.

In nearby Canterbury-Bankstown, there have been 49 cases, while in Fairfield eight have been recorded so far. Campbelltown has 16 cases of coronavirus.

Read the full story here