Coronavirus Parramatta: Our Lady of Mercy College cases grow
The number of positive coronavirus cases linked to a western Sydney Catholic girls’ high school has risen to six.
Parramatta
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- Parramatta grandmother died of COVID-19 alone
- Parramatta Local Court employee returns positive test
- Locals flock to get tested in hotspot
The number of positive coronavirus cases linked to Our Lady of Mercy College at Parramatta has climbed to six.
NSW Health reported seven new cases of COVID-19 in NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, with two linked to the Catholic school but the source is under investigation.
Three students were diagnosed with COVID-19 and they are understood to have infected the three fresh cases, taking the number to six.
A Western Sydney Local Health District spokeswoman said the latest OLMC cases were close contacts of confirmed cases and were already in self-isolation.
“Our Public Health Unit is actively monitoring the situation and providing advice.
“We have advised it is safe for the school to reopen as planned on August 24. This plan is subject to change based on ongoing monitoring and health advice.”
The school is in the centre of the Parramatta hotspot, where grandmother Jamilie Joseph, 80, died of COVID-19 on August 12.
NSW Health linked her positive case to the Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral cluster.
Despite her family disputing she contracted the virus from the Harris Park church, a Western Sydney Local Health District spokeswoman said:
“We offer our sincerest condolences to the Joseph family for the loss of their loved one.
Our public health unit has completed this investigation.”
Last week, positive cases were reported at Westfield shopping centre and Parramatta Public School.
Parramatta Local Court was due to reopen on Monday after a security guard tested positive on Saturday. The guard was working at the George St court on Tuesday, 11 August, and Wednesday, August 12, between 8.30am and 12.30pm.
NSW Health has advised close contacts of the employee and urge anyone who visited the court between 8.30am and 12.30pm on those days to monitor for symptoms and get tested.
Positive cases were reported at St Patrick’s Cathedral and Bayanami Public School in July.
The cases add to the growing list of COVID-19 cases across the community, including the cluster at Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral at Harris Park, Milky Lane burger eatery at Parramatta, St Margaret Mary’s Primary School, Merrylands, Cerdon College at Merrylands, and Anytime Fitness at Merrylands.
There are now 3768 positive cases of coronavirus in NSW.
There have been no new deaths, with the total number remaining at 54.
There were 10,806 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 24,093 in the previous 24 hours.
As COVID-19 continues to circulate in the community, maintaining high rates of testing is vital at this time, and NSW Health urges anyone with even the mildest symptoms to come forward for testing.
Apart from the two OLMC cases reported, one is a Parramatta Local Court security guard, one is a traveller in hotel quarantine, three were locally acquired cases and were close contacts of cases linked to Chopstix Asian Cuisine at Smithfield RSL Club and another attended Sydney Girls’ High School at Surry Hills while infectious on August 6, 7, 10 and 11.