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'Knife's edge': Premier's unnerving message after virus spike in NSW

NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned the state is in a precarious position as she revealed NSW had recorded 22 new coronavirus infections in the past 24-hour period, including several fresh cases linked to a school in Sydney's north west.

It is the highest number of daily new infections recorded in NSW in almost four months. It’s a sobering reality that has health authorities on high alert.

“It is a daily battle in NSW, we have to be on our toes, we are in a state of high alert,” she said.

“My anxiety has not subsided in relation to what a knife's edge NSW is on.

“We need to keep pulling together and doing the right thing.”

NSW Premier said people need to keep their distance and take precautions. Source: ABC
NSW Premier said people need to keep their distance and take precautions. Source: ABC

Four of the 22 new cases were returned international travellers in hotel quarantine, while another two acquired their infections in Victoria.

One case was acquired locally and is currently under investigation to determine its source, while the others are linked to known clusters.

Coronavirus cluster linked to Catholic school

NSW health authorities are working to trace the source of a 17-strong coronavirus cluster associated with an independent Catholic school in northwest Sydney.

At least six new COVID-19 cases were linked on Tuesday to Tangara School for Girls in Cherrybrook, following the previous identification of 11 cases.

The Opus Dei-associated school has closed its secondary campus until August 24 and its junior campus until at least Wednesday after its first COVID-19 case last week.

NSW Health on Monday said the source of the Tangara outbreak remained unclear, and all secondary students and staff were in self-isolation and being tested.

The 22 cases came from more than 13,000 tests.

In Pennant Hills, St Agatha's Catholic Church is undergoing deep cleaning after a parishioner who visited last Wednesday and Thursday tested positive to the virus, as is PharmaSave Pharmacy in Cherrybrook after an infected employee worked on Thursday.

In western Sydney, Bonnyrigg Heights Public School reopened on Tuesday after being closed for cleaning on Monday after a primary school student tested positive, but Kids' Early Learning Quakers Hill remains closed after children were exposed to the virus.

A second student at Our Lady of Mercy College in Parramatta has also been diagnosed with COVID-19 and the school campus is closed.

Batemans Bay High School and Batemans Bay Public School on the NSW south coast are both closed on Tuesday after one student at each school tested positive for the virus.

NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant has urged people to avoid large gatherings and on Monday admitted older school students are more likely to transmit the virus.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian reiterated people must take precautions to stop the spread of the virus, following a serious outbreak in Victoria.

“We are in a pandemic - every organisation, every entity needs to abide by the COVID-safe plans,” she said this morning.

with AAP

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