NSW records five new cases of COVID-19 and another death

A leading Sydney selective school will be closed on Monday after a student tested positive for the coronavirus, with students asked to self-isolate.

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Leading selective school Sydney Girls High School will be closed for deep cleaning on Monday and trial HSC exams will also be postponed after a student tested positive to COVID-19 on Sunday morning.

The school said the closure will allow authorities the time to complete contact tracing and deep cleaning and a trial HSC exam scheduled for Monday will be rescheduled.

A NSW Department of Education spokesman said all staff and students have been asked to self-isolate.

“Sydney Girls High School will not be open for on-site learning on Monday, 17 August 2020 after a student tested positive to COVID-19. The school is working closely with NSW Health to establish close contacts,” the spokesman said.

“Students will continue to be supported through existing learning from home arrangements while the school is thoroughly cleaned.”

Sydney Girls High School will be closed on Monday after a positive COVID-19 scare. Picture: Hollie Adams

Meanwhile, NSW has recorded five cases of COVID-19 in the 24-hour period until 8pm Saturday — the lowest number of new cases in more than a month.

A cluster at Tangara School for Girls in Sydney’s west has continued to grow, with three new cases recorded that are linked to it, and health authorities are working to trace the source of two unknown cases of community transmission recorded in the past 24 hours.

A health care worker at a COVID-19 pop up testing clinic at Castle Hill Showground last week. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images

It comes as a man in his 80s has died from the virus overnight — taking the NSW’s death toll to 54.

NSW has recorded the five new cases after 24,093 tests were conducted in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday.

The numbers mark the lowest rate of COVID-19 spread in NSW since July 12.

All the new cases were locally acquired, with three linked to the Cherrybrook school which has now grown to 25 cases in total.

The other positive cases were in a Western Sydney man in his 40s and a close contact – the source both these cases is under investigation.

Another four Sydney venues have been cautioned after people now diagnosed with coronavirus visited them between August 2 and 8.

Three of the new NSW cases are linked to the Tangarra cluster. Picture: Adam Yip

Anyone who visited Horderns Restaurant at Milton Park Country House Hotel in Bowral on August 2 between 7.45pm and 9.15pm, Crust Pizza Concord on August 6 between 5pm and 9pm, Den Sushi Rose Bay on August 8 between 7.15pm and 8.45pm, and Café Person Double Bay between 1pm and 2pm have been deemed casual contacts and should monitor for symptoms.

There are currently 119 COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health and seven patients are in intensive care, with five on ventilators.