Coronavirus NSW: No new cases for first time in 15 weeks
For the first time since June 10, there have been no new cases of coronavirus recorded in NSW.
NSW Health revealed the positive news on Sunday morning, confirming none of the 12,333 test-takers in the previous 24 hours had returned a positive result.
The department issued a message of gratitude to the community for its effort in remaining vigilant throughout the COVID-19 threat.
“NSW Health thanks the community for all they have done towards reducing COVID-19 numbers, and continues to ask people to remain vigilant and come forward for testing immediately if symptoms like a runny nose, scratchy throat, cough or fever appear,” the department’s daily update said.
“This is particularly important with the start of school holidays and increased movement of people around the state.”
A total of 68 active cases were currently being treated by NSW Health, including three in intensive care, none of whom are being ventilated.
Eighty-seven per cent of cases being treated by NSW Health are in non-acute, out-of-hospital care.
Meanwhile, traces of COVID-19 have been detected in raw sewage across Sydney as part of new research that could provide another tool in the fight against the pandemic, NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said.
She said the sewage testing program undertaken by NSW Health and Sydney Water started in July could show where the virus had been and provide early warning in places without known or recent cases.
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"This is early days for this research, and we have a lot of work to do analysing our findings, but it's one more way we can strengthen our fight against COVID-19," Dr Chant said in a statement.
"This is a program that will show us where COVID-19 has been. For instance, we would expect to see viral fragments in Sydney sewage where we have consistently had cases in the community or in hotel quarantine
"However, if we continue to have very few active cases, there is scope for this testing to provide early warning in places without known or recent cases."
Sydney Water's General Manager Customer, Strategy and Engagement, Maryanne Graham, said treatment processes effectively deactivated the virus and there was no risk to testing staff.
She said Sydney Water was also supporting NSW Health by analysing samples from regional areas including the Hunter, the North Coast, Southern and Western NSW.
A mystery infection on Friday ended a three-day run for NSW without community transmission.
The man in his 50s had not had contact with a previously confirmed case.
There are concerns his infection could reset NSW's "border clock" with Queensland if authorities can't determine how he got sick.
Queensland chief health officer Jeannette Young says she will await the result of an investigation.
NSW must record 28 days with no community transmissions before its border with Queensland is reopened - a feat Premier Gladys Berejiklian says is a "pretty tall order".
With AAP
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