Premier: Don’t Drop Testing This Weekend

THE Premier announced this morning that more than 7,000 tests for covid-19 were conducted throughout the state yesterday and wants to see an average of more than 8,000 per day to ensure any community transmission is detected before restrictions can be lifted.

“I’m pleased to say our rates of testing have really increased in New South Wales, in the last 24 hours we’ve completed more than 7,200 tests and out of all of those tests there were seven new cases,” said the Premier.

“New South Wales is now saying to everyone across the state, if you have symptoms, if you’re worried you have covid-19, if you’ve been in contact with anyone and you’re concerned you have the disease, please come forward and get tested” she said. 

“We’re increasing the testing to include everybody across the state, not just those who work with vulnerable people, not just those who live in those high risk areas where we’ve had clusters, but anybody across our state who has symptoms, whose concerned they might have it,” she said.

“We want to see the number of tests go up above 8,000 each day, because as we lift restrictions we have to have more tests, we have to have more people come forward and we really want that to happen,” said Premier Gladys Berejiklian. 

The Premier also stressed people should keep up testing over the weekend.

“We often see a dip but that doesn’t need to be the case if you want to come forward on a Saturday or a Sunday please do so, we want to keep that rate of testing equal everyday to make sure we capture as many people as possible, because the more people that get tested, the less likelihood of the spread,” said the Premier.

“We don’t want to see the dips in the weekends that we have in previous weeks,” she said.

“We have the capacity now to be tested,” Gladys Berejiklian said.

Testing is conducted in Scone during weekdays, but testing is available on the weekend at Muswellbrook Hospital. If you’d like to be tested on the weekend please phone Muswellbrook Hospital to make an appointment: 02 6542 2000. To be tested in Scone during the week, please phone the Scott Memorial Hospital for an appointment: 02 6540 2100.

“We need to use this time during restrictions to prepare the health system,” said the Premier.

“Once more people have contact with each other the more numbers will go up,” she said.

“We have doubled our ICU and we are looking to triple and quadruple that,” she said.

“We are using this time to prepare our system and all the things we need like hand sanitiser and equipment to prepare the community for the future,” said Gladys Berejiklian.

Health Update

The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Kerry Chant, stressed people with even the mildest symptoms should present for testing, explaining sometimes even a scratchy throat may indicate an infection.

“It is incredibly important at this time, as we are trying to minimise and suppress the disease transmission in the community that anybody with acute respiratory illness, people with coughs, sore throat, unexplained fever, come forward for testing,” said Dr Chant.

“Anyone who’s working with vulnerable groups, have a very low threshold for testing, itchy, scratchy throat, minimal symptoms do not attend work, but get tested,” said Dr Kerry Chant.

• 2,982 cases of Covid-19
• 2,056 people have recovered
• 230 people are being treated
• 19 patients are in ICU
• 15 people are on ventilators
• 34 deaths statewide
• a 78 year old female who was a resident at Anglicare has died, bringing the total to four deaths at the facility.

Ruby Princess

• Ruby Princess left New South Wales waters this morning
• 567 crew were repatriated or taken for medical treatment
• 40 crew remain in hospital
• No crew currently on the ship have tested positive
• Homicide detectives returned to the ship yesterday and seized additional evidence
• 1,000 people have contacted the police portal with information on the Ruby Princess
• Previous cruises of the Ruby Princess are also being investigated

Mental Health Initiative

The government has announced an additional 180 mental health professionals to support the community through the pandemic.

Every local health district across New South Wales will have access to virtual mental health teams.

The NSW Minister for Mental Health, Bronwyn Taylor said she is pleased there will be increased support in regional communities, “I’m particularly pleased about this being from a rural community myself to know that we’ll be able to expand these services right across New South Wales.”

The government also announced there will be free access to

Free to access Tresillian baby sleep well program, which will be available 24 hours a day.