Coronavirus NSW live updates: NSW police issues six fines in 24 hours

A woman, 26, has copped a $1000 fine for breaching quarantine to visit and embassy, as a COVID-19 case is confirmed 250km from Sydney. 

A woman who left quarantine to get a visa, three men who went to work and a local pub owner who claimed not to speak English are among the latest to cop police fines for breaching public health orders. 

NSW police have issued six new fines in three incidents in the last 24 hours, as the state recorded 21 new coronavirus infections today - its biggest daily increase since April 19.

There are now 102 active cases being treated by NSW Health. Eight people are in intensive care, and four are being ventilated.

Six of today's new infections are linked to The Apollo restaurant in Potts Point, and two are linked to the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park. Two are returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

This afternoon, the Western NSW Local Health District confirmed a case of COVID-19 in Orange, linked to a cluster 250 kilometres away in Sydney.

It said there was "no need for concern in the Orange community" and all close contacts had been contacted by the public health unit, told to get tested and isolate for 14 days. 

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Our live coverage has ended for the day. Here's how it unfolded. 

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Updates

6:56 pm July 31, 2020

Woman cops fine after leaving quarantine for embassy visit

NSW police said the Riverina pub and a woman who left quarantine to get a visa are among the latest to receive fines for breaching public health orders.

The Temora pub is one of three incidents and six Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) issued by NSW police in the last 24 hours.

About 12.30pm Thursday, officers visited the pub and found there was no sign-in book on entry. When they asked the licensee to advise on his COVID-19 Safety plan, he claimed not to speak English.

"The pub was issued with a $5000 PIN for failing to comply with a ministerial direction, and the licensee was issued with a $1000 PIN for the same offence," police said.

In a second incident, a 26-year-old woman who arrived in Sydney from Victoria and was meant to be self-isolating left to apply for a visa at a nearby embassy.

"Following inquiries, it was determined that applying for a visa was not a valid exemption to enter NSW and she did not meet the requirements for a permit. Further, she was not permitted to leave isolation," police said.

The woman was issued with a $1000 fine before being directed to return to Victoria.

A third incident found three Malaysian nationals who travelled to NSW from Victoria had been going to work and not isolating as required. Each received a $1000 fine.

3:53 pm July 31, 2020 Highlight

Uni provides update on Orange case

Charles Sturt University has acknowledged a confirmed case of COVID-19 linked to its campus in Orange in the NSW Central Tablelands.

"The case is currently in isolation in the Orange Local Government Area and is linked to a known cluster in Sydney," a CSU spokesman said in a statement to news.com.au on Friday afternoon.

"NSW Health is managing the affected person’s case.

"We are working closely with NSW Health. The Public Health Unit has contacted all close contacts who have been provided health information which includes being tested for COVID-19 and remaining in isolation for 14 days.

"NSW Health has advised that it will open and operate a drive-through testing facility in Orange this weekend, and Charles Sturt strongly urges to get tested if you have symptoms, even if they are mild.

"The University would also like to reaffirm its commitment to stringent health and safety practices, and remind staff and students to maintain appropriate social distancing measures, hand hygiene and cough etiquette.

"The University will not release the name or details of any staff or students who test positive for COVID-19, as per the Health Privacy Act."

The spokesman did not respond to questions about whether the case was a staff member or student, when the university was notified and what information has been provided to the campus community.

3:48 pm July 31, 2020 Highlight

National coronavirus update

Deputy chief medical officer Professor Michael Kidd is providing a national update on COVID-19.

He says there have been 16,905 people diagnosed with the coronavirus across the country since January 22.

In the past 24 hours, there have been 627 new cases reported in Victoria, 21 in New South Wales, one in Western Australia, one in South Australia and one new case in Queensland which is under investigation.

The national death toll from COVID-19 is 196.

"Clearly, what we are aiming for is to see no community transmission occurring across Australia and this of course is the situation in a number of states and in the Northern Territory at this time," Prof Kidd said.

"We would like to see the rest of the country move back to that position of having no community transmission taking place.

"We recognise we may still get cases of COVID-19 in Australia because we still have people coming into the country, people repatriating back to be with their families, other people involved in importing and exporting goods in and out of our country.

"And so we hope that we will be able to move back to the position of no community transmission occurring in Victoria and indeed in Queensland and New South Wales as well."

2:45 pm July 31, 2020 Highlight

Positive virus case in Orange

A case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Orange, linked to a known cluster in Sydney, NSW Health says.

The Central Western Daily reports Charles Sturt University has confirmed the positive case is linked to its Orange campus on Leeds Parade.

The Western NSW Local Health District shared the update on Facebook on Friday afternoon after the state earlier reported 21 new coronavirus cases.

"There is no need for concern in the Orange community," the post reads.

"The case is currently in isolation in the Orange Local Government Area, but has a residential address outside of the Health District. The case is linked to a known cluster in Sydney.

"The Public Health Unit has contacted all close contacts.

"They have been provided with Public Health information which includes to be tested for COVID-19 and remain in isolation for 14 days.

"If you have not been contacted by the Public Health Unit you have not been identified as a close contact."

The fever clinic at the Orange Health Service has reopened and will operate from 10am to 5pm this weekend and Monday to Friday.

A drive-through testing clinic has also been set up at the Orange Showground and will operate from 10am to 5pm on Saturday, August 1.

"The service is free of charge, and you don’t need a referral or appointment to attend," the WNSWLHD said in the post.

"It’s a drive-through service so you won’t have to leave your car.

"Our staff will be able to come to you, do a short assessment and get your details, and then do a swab from the back of your throat and then the back of your nose.

"The tests are then sent away for analysis which normally takes about 48 hours. If your test is negative, you can request to get those results by text message even faster."

Anyone with any symptoms should arrange to be tested for COVID-19.

A CSU spokesman told the Central Western Daily he could not confirm whether the positive case was a staff member or student.

"The university will not release the name or details of any staff or students who test positive for COVID-19, as per the Health Privacy Act," he said.

"The university would also like to reaffirm its commitment to stringent health and safety practices, and remind staff and students to maintain appropriate social distancing measures, hand hygiene and cough etiquette."

News.com.au has contacted the university for any further information.

1:49 pm July 31, 2020 Highlight

Confirmed infection at prestigious Sydney club

The Australian Club, a prestigious, male-only private members' club in Sydney, has closed because a staff member tested positive for the virus, according to The Herald.

The club says it is acting "with an abundance of caution", and will be shut until Tuesday.

The staff member in question had been to The Apollo restaurant, which is linked to a cluster of infections. He was at the Australian Club on Monday, from 6am to 9:30am. Everyone who came into "close contact" with him has been advised.

12:55 pm July 31, 2020 Highlight

Canberrans 'strongly advised' to avoid Sydney

The ACT government is now "strongly advising" its residents to avoid both Victoria and Greater Sydney.

"With the situation evolving quickly in other jurisdictions, we are updating our travel advice," it said in a statement.

"In addition to the advice on Victoria, we are now also updating our travel advice for Greater Sydney. ACT residents are strongly advised not to travel to Greater Sydney at this time. Travel to Greater Sydney should only be done for absolutely essential reasons.

"We do not issue this advice lightly, but it is a recognition of the fact that the risk to Canberrans of contracting COVID-19 in Greater Sydney, and potentially bringing it back to the ACT with them, is currently higher than we would like."

There are no new cases of the virus in the ACT today.

ACT COVID-19 update (31 July 2020)
▪️ Cases today: 0
▪️ Active cases: 1
▪️ Test results (past 24 hours): 488
▪️ Negative tests: 50,743
▪️ Total cases: 113
▪️ Recovered: 109
▪️ Lives lost: 3
ℹ️ https://t.co/YGW9pOHG3e pic.twitter.com/b5U4SBR59M

— ACT Health (@ACTHealth) July 31, 2020

12:14 pm July 31, 2020 Highlight

The cases with no known source

When Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke about New South Wales this morning, he said he was "confident" about the situation there because its new infections were being traced back to known sources.

"There are no cases that have an unknown source. None. Whereas in Victoria, you have around 50 cases a day where there's an unknown source," Mr Morrison said.

"That is one of the key reasons that we feel more confident about NSW."

As if to illustrate his point, today Victoria reported 94 new cases with no known source.

You can read more over at our Victoria blog.

11:34 am July 31, 2020 Highlight

Childcare centre can reopen

One last detail from NSW Health's update – the Everlearn Childcare Centre in Prestons is going to be reopening, as the suspected case linked to it has now tested negative for the virus.

The centre will resume its normal operations on Monday.

11:24 am July 31, 2020 Highlight

Revised details for Mounties cluster

Based on new information, NSW Health has revised the times that infectious cases attended the Mounties Club in Mount Pritchard.

Anyone who visited the club during the following times must isolate and get tested, even if they don't have symptoms, and stay isolated for a full 14 days, even if they test negative.

– Wednesday, July 22, from 7pm to midnight;

– Thursday, July 23, from 12:01am to 3am or 8:30pm to midnight;

– Friday, July 24, from midnight to 3am, 11am to 3:30pm or 7pm to midnight;

– Saturday, July 25, from midnight to 3am.

The Mounties cluster currently stands at three infections.

11:05 am July 31, 2020 Highlight

21 new infections in NSW

New South Wales has reported 21 new cases of the virus, bringing its total tally of infections to 3567.

This is the highest daily rise in cases since April 19.

There are now 102 active cases being treated by NSW Health. Eight people are in intensive care, and four are being ventilated.

Of the new cases:

– Two are linked to the funeral gatherings cluster;

– Three are associated with the Our Lady of Lebanon cluster;

– Two are associated with the Thai Rock Wetherill Park cluster;

– Six are linked to The Apollo restaurant in Potts Point;

– Two are associated with the Mounties Club;

– Two are returned travellers in hotel quarantine;

– One case was acquired in Victoria;

– Two are still under investigation;

– And one is linked to a known case that is currently under investigation.

So, there are now 94 cases linked to Thai Rock Wetherill Park, 57 associated with the Crossroads Hotel cluster, 23 linked to the funeral gatherings, and 19 linked to the Potts Point Cluster.

21 new cases of #COVID19 have been diagnosed in NSW between 8pm on 29 July and 8pm on 30 July.

For the latest list of COVID-19 locations, visit: https://t.co/pqkRdfh3cR pic.twitter.com/QUxsDOp3eL

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 31, 2020