UPDATE Monday March 9
NSW Health has advised flight details of three people who have contracted coronavirus, one of whom may be a man in his 50s from Cronulla, who was listed as a new case last week.
NSW Health advised last week the man, 53, had just returned from Italy.
A spokeswoman said today (Monday) she could not confirm this was the case for which flight details had been released.
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in NSW has risen to 40 with two new cases advised late on Sunday.
NSW Health said the new cases included a man in his 70s, who attended St Vincent's Hospital emergency department on March 6 and a man in his 40s, who travelled overseas recently.
Flight details were revealed for the following cases:
- From a case confirmed on Sunday, NSW Health is asking anyone who arrived on QR908 which arrived from Doha on March 2, seated in rows 49, 50, 51,52 and 53 on this flight to self-isolate and call their local public health unit for further guidance on 1300 066 055.
- From another previously confirmed case involving a man in his 50s, anyone who arrived on QF02 which left Singapore on February 27 and arrived in Sydney on February 28, and were seated in rows 31, 32, 33 are asked to self-isolate and call their local public health unit.
- From another previously confirmed case, NSW Health is asking anyone who arrived who travelled on QR 906 which left Doha on February 29 and arrived in Sydney on March 1 and were seated in rows 17-21 to self-isolate and call their local public health unit.
UPDATE Sunday March 8
A man, 82, is the second person to die with coronavirus in NSW.,
NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant passed on the sympathies of NSW Health to the family of the patient, who died in hospital overnight after testing positive to COVID-19 last week.
The man was reportedly a resident at Dorothy Henderson Lodge in Macquarie Park, the same aged care facility where a 94-year-old woman, who tested positive to the virus, died last week.
NSW Health said another two cases of coronavirus in NSW were confirmed overnight, taking the total in the state to 38.
The new cases are:
- A female health care worker at Ryde Hospital in her 30s who is a contact of a previously confirmed case from an aged care facility.
- A female in her 50s who is a contact of a previously confirmed case.
UPDATE: Sunday March 8
Health authorities have issued an alert for passengers who travelled on Qantas and Virgin Australia domestic flights to and from Canberra on February 28 following the detection of two more cases if coronavirus.
NSW Health said an additional two cases of coronavirus were diagnosed to 9 pm on Saturday, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in NSW to 36.
The new cases include:
A male in his 60s who recently returned from Italy and is currently under investigation.
A second male in his 40s who is a known close contact of a previously confirmed case. He travelled on two domestic flights on 28 February while symptomatic but before he had been identified as a close contact.
They are FLIGHT 1: 6.45am QF1509 Sydney to Canberra and FLIGHT 2: 2.35pm VA651 Canberra to Sydney.
NSW Health is asking anyone seated in rows 2-6 in the first flight or rows 3-7 in the second flight to self-isolate and call their local public health unit for further guidance on 1300 066 055.
Anyone else travelling on these flights in other rows are not considered to be close contacts and should monitor their health until 13 March and to contact their GP for assessment and testing if they develop any symptoms.
NSW Health said it was continuing to find and respond to cases as they are diagnosed to slow any spread of COVID-19 in the community.
UPDATE: Update Saturday March 7
An additional six cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed bringing the total number of confirmed cases in NSW to 34.
The NSW Ministry of Health said a further 545 cases were under investigation, while 6217 cases have been tested for COVID -19 and excluded.
No further details were given on the Cronulla man, 53, who has been diagnosed with the disease.
This case was advised on Thursday and, yesterday (Friday) it was revealed he had just returned from Italy and his flight details were being obtained.
The new cases advised on Saturday include:
- A male in his 50s, who is a close contact of a previously confirmed case.
- A male in his 40s, who is a family member of a previously confirmed case.
- A female in her 40s, a family member of a previously confirmed case.
- A female in her 40s, a close contact of a previously confirmed case.
- A male in his 20s, a close contact of a previously confirmed case.
- A male in his 70s, who returned from Italy and who exhibited symptoms a day after returning. NSW Health is contacting flight passengers on flight number QR908 which left Doha on 1 March.
Screening continues at Sydney International Airport. As at midnight 7 March, total of 23,814 passengers had been assessed, and a total of 77 were sent for testing.
UPDATE: Friday March 6
There are now 26 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection in NSW, following two new cases overnight, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said at a press conference in Sydney today.
Ms Berejiklian said the new cases include a 16-year-old Epping Boys High School student and another staff member from the same aged care centre in Macquarie Park where others have tested positive for the COVID-19 disease.
She said the NSW Health website had up-to-date information on the virus, including precautions people could take to avoid infection.
"I have full confidence that our health system is doing everything we can to address the spread of this virus and we ask everybody to stay calm and take the precautionary steps that have been recommended," she said.
"You might be a carrier who has a very mild case and unintentionally pass it on to others who might be vulnerable.
"We appreciate that for many people in the community it is a very concerning time but ... please put things into perspective."
Ms Berejiklian said the health system was on "high alert" and had "various plans in place for the various scenarios that can emerge in the next weeks and months".
She said she wanted people to feel comfortable catching public transport and going about their daily business but take the necessary steps and stay at home if they were unwell.
"It is not time to soldier on," she said.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant asked people to adopt a "commonsense approach" to visiting people in hospital.
She said to refrain from visiting if you had even mild symptoms of any illness.
All visitors were asked to wash and sanitise their hands when entering or leaving any wards.
"We are also asking that visitor numbers are kept down ... to one or two visitors per person," she said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Scott Morrison today announced the federal government would help the states manage the public health costs associated with coronavirus, and would immediately put up $100 million in funding.
Mr Morrison said it was estimated the public health cost of coronavirus could be as much as $1 billion.
