Three mystery cases have authorities on edge

Authorities are begging residents to get tested as three mystery coronavirus cases spark fears of a fresh outbreak in New South Wales.

Of the new COVID cases announced in New South Wales on Thursday, three have no known source, sparking fears of a fresh outbreak in a state holding on to freedom by a thread.

NSW announced 19 cases on Thursday – three from the Crossroads Hotel cluster in Casula, nine from the Thai Rock restaurant at Wetherill Park and one a southwestern Sydney resident who returned from Victoria.

Three of those cases are in hotel quarantine, and the final three are not linked to anything.

NSW Health reiterated advice given earlier this week, urging anyone with even the smallest symptom, like a runny nose or a scratchy throat, to get tested and self-isolate until they had a result.

“Stay at home and do not go to work or catch public transport until you are cleared of COVID-19,” NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said.

“If people have been directed to undertake a full 14 (days) self-isolation period, they must stay in isolation for the full period, even if they undertake a test that comes back negative.

“This is because early testing may not detect an infection and release from self-isolation based on a negative test could allow an infectious person to infect others in the community.

“The self-isolation period is 14 days as most people who are infected and develop symptoms will develop symptoms within 14 days of infection.”

NSW announced 19 new COVID cases on Thursday as residents begin to increasingly don masks. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dylan K Coker

Of Thursday’s new cases, three are from unknown sources and two are children. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Bianca De Marchi

One case associated with the Thai Rock cluster is a child who attended Tomaree Public School. The school has been closed for deep cleaning as contact tracers work to reach anyone who could be infected.

Another is a young child who attends Goodstart Early Learning in Anna Bay. The centre has been closed for contact tracing and cleaning.

New health warnings are in place in the Hunter New England area for a supermarket and a cafe.

Anyone who attended Salamander Bay Village Woolworths on July 17 from 2.30pm to closing time, July 18 from 4pm to closing time, July 19 from 12.45pm to closing time, and July 20 from 3pm to closing time should watch for COVID-19 symptoms and get tested immediately if any respiratory symptoms or fever occur.

The same advice has been issued for anyone who attended The Fingal Bay Cafe and Takeaway on July 17 between 11.30am and noon.

There are now 56 cases associated with the Crossroads Hotel, 46 linked to the Thai Rock restaurant and eight with the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club.

There were 24,640 people tested over the past 24 hours, an increase on the 18,465 tested on Tuesday.

Two new drive-through testing clinics opened on Thursday, one at Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral in Harris Park, which is open 9am to 4pm, and a three-lane clinic in Tomaree Sports Complex at Nelson Bay.

19 new cases of #COVID19 have been diagnosed in NSW between 8pm on 21 July and 8pm on 22 July.

For the latest list of COVID-19 locations, visit: https://t.co/6PUOQ3J3tO pic.twitter.com/LatYpL5uBO

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) July 23, 2020