Coronavirus NSW: USYD and UNSW confirm student cases of COVID-19
The University of Sydney is intensively cleaning six locations across its campus after a student was diagnosed with coronavirus and the University of NSW has also confirmed a student has the virus but was not contagious while on campus. NSW cases: 134.
NSW
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Six locations across the University of Sydney campus are being intensively cleaned after a student was diagnosed with coronavirus.
NSW Health and the university released a joint statement on Sunday confirming a student was in hospital “recovering and doing well” after feeling ill and testing positive for COVID-19 on the weekend.
“NSW Health and the University of Sydney have identified around 80 people who were close contacts with the student while on campus, who have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days,” the statement said.
“Staff and students are asked to be vigilant for symptoms of COVID-19 which include fever, cough, runny nose or shortness of breath and phone ahead to their GP.”
The University of NSW has also confirmed a student has the virus but was not contagious while on campus.
Both cases were previously announced and do not alter the latest statistics, with the total number of confirmed cases in NSW at 134.
The current advice is that the rest of the USYD campus can continue to operate as normal while there are no measures necessary for the UNSW.
“Preventative measures undertaken on campus include increased frequency of cleaning; increased signage regarding hygiene practices and installation of hand sanitiser units across the college,” the university statement said.
The news comes after Prime Minister Scott Morrison addressed the nation with an update on the health crisis.
Mr Morrison announced that schools and universities would remain open until advised otherwise.
The PM added that the decision had been made to ban ships coming from foreign ports for an initial 30 days and travellers coming into the country “will be required to self-isolate for 14 days”.
Earlier, Labor’s shadow health minister urged authorities to create an open dialogue with parents, with schools “increasingly likely” to close across the nation.
McMahon MP and Shadow Health Minister Chris Bowen said families needed time to prepare for the disturbance caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.
“It’s becoming increasingly likely that at some point schools will be closed,” he said.
“Of course, it’s incumbent on the authorities to provide that information to parents, as soon as practicable. This will cause significant dislocation for families around the country.
“I think families with adequate notice will be able to put the steps in place to manage it as best I can.”
Mr Bowen said health workers and border force officers, on the front line of the coronavirus epidemic, would struggle if they were a single parent or if a child care centre was closed.
“I call on the federal and state governments to work together closely now to put steps in place to help healthcare workers and border force workers who are in that situation to provide whatever practical support they can,” he said.
“There’ll be enough pressure on the healthcare system as it is, without healthcare workers having to stay home because their son or daughter’s school has closed.
“I don’t pretend it’s easy, I don’t pretend there’s a magic solution, but with appropriate planning, and without scrambling at the end, we should be able to support those healthcare workers.”
Mr Bowen criticised the information released by the federal government on the virus, saying it must be “clear and consistent”.
“It needs to be a nationally co-ordinated, fully integrated campaign to allay misinformation on social media, to make people’s obligations for self isolation very clear (and) how to minimise the spread of the virus. We need that advertising.”
Mr Bowen said Australia should imitate New Zealand’s tighter travel restrictions and self isolation for all people returning from overseas, announced by PM Jacinda Arden on Saturday.
“I make it clear Labour would support such a measure for Australia,” he said.
“We must do everything possible to stop this virus taking hold.”
And, Mr Bowen said, businesses across the board should encourage staff to work from home, where possible.
“I think there are many employers who are doing that,” he said.
“I recognise not every business is the same. Small businesses, different service retailers, different office work, it’s pretty hard to run a shop from home.
“But where they can, that is to be encouraged.”
PREMIER CREATES ‘WAR CABINET’
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has set up a coronavirus “war cabinet”, which will hold its first meeting today.
It will include key ministers such as Treasurer Dominic Perrottet, Health Minister Brad Hazzard, Attorney-General Mark Speakman and Police Minister David Elliott to enable rapid decisions to tackle the COVID-19 virus.
The move comes after the Premier told key ministers not to attend a planned community cabinet meeting on the far south coast tomorrow, which had been organised in the wake of the bushfire crisis.
“She wanted her key ministers to be in Sydney,” a government source said.
The insider said the Premier would still be attending the region as promised.
The state government will this week release a stimulus package with a focus on employment. In order for NSW to avoid sliding into recession, the effect of the stimulus must be felt from April 1 and continue for at least a six-month period.
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It is understood the measures will be released early this week after being signed off by the Premier.
The government has been criticised for delaying its release, with Labor noting how Victoria held a special cabinet meeting yesterday to introduce its own measures.
Labor treasury spokesman Walt Secord noted how South Australia, Queensland and the federal governments as well as the US, China, Germany and Canada had announced assistance packages.
“We are in extraordinary times and in extraordinary circumstances,” Mr Secord said.
Mr Perrottet, who has been working on the stimulus package for weeks, described the impact of virus as a “temporary economic shock”, although he acknowledged that it would have a “significant negative impact” on the June Budget.
With NSW “more exposed” than other state’s economically, given it is the biggest state with greater international connections, the focus was on protecting jobs and keeping people safe, he said.
“If we can support the health system and lessen the impact of COVID-19, that will help the economy,” Mr Perrottet said.
“Some industries are doing it very tough and we have seen that happen, but we want to ensure this is more of a temporary economic shock and we can turn the corner.”