NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb tests positive to Covid as state records more than 20,000 new cases

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has tested positive to Covid-19 after the state announced a massive spike in infections.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has tested positive to Covid-19.

The top cop underwent a rapid antigen test on Tuesday which returned a positive result, the force said in a statement.

“Commissioner Webb has been isolating at home since Monday and remains on duty,” a police spokesman said on Wednesday night.

“She will not be attending any ‘in person’ events or appointments during her isolation period.”

Police Commissioner Karen Webb is isolating after testing positive to Covid. Picture: Jonathan Ng

NSW recorded a massive spike in local Covid-19 infections, with numbers almost doubling to 20,402 cases on Wednesday.

Almost one million Covid cases have been detected by PCR tests in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, according to NSW Health.

It is unknown how many more cases have been confirmed through the use of RAT tests, which became available in November last year.

A surge in cases coincides with the new Omicron BA. 2 variant, which is believed to be more transmissible.

number of cases detected by PCR tests in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 999,189.

Confirmed cases by Local Health District: https://t.co/4zEfPFCfVa

— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) March 16, 2022

NSW Health revealed the massive number of cases came from 12,748 RAT tests and 7654 PCR results.

However, the state’s official data for Wednesday will show 30,402 new cases after an additional 10,000 RAT results were included.

The further 10,000 cases were left out of Sunday and Monday’s results due to a data processing issue.

“These positive RATs from Sunday and Monday artificially inflate the cases being reported for the 24 hours to 4pm Tuesday,” NSW Health said in a statement.

NSW has recorded a massive spike in local Covid-19 infections, with record numbers almost doubling to 20,402 cases on Wednesday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

“The data processing issue, which has now been resolved, is only affected reporting of cases. All of these cases were still connected to clinical care as per normal processes with positive Covid-19 results.”

Case numbers have doubled in just 24 hours after NSW recorded 10,689 infections on Tuesday.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard last week revealed cases were expected to spike as a result of BA. 2.

Across the world, many countries have experienced a surge in cases due to BA. 2, with the Statens Serum Institut in Denmark issuing a warning about two weeks ago.

“BA. 2 is gaining ground in many places worldwide,” the Danish research institute said.

Originally published as NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb tests positive to Covid as state records more than 20,000 new cases