Premier: Most Worried By Local Unknown Cases

AT this morning’s media conference the Premier said our focus needs to turn to the number of locally acquired cases, with no known source.

“We’ve seen the number of cases go up every day and Dr Kerry Chant will talk about that today, but the number of new cases we’ve managed to stabilise at this point in time,” said the Premier.

“But what still concerns us greatly in NSW is the number of cases that are being acquired without us knowing the source, what we call the community to community transmission and that is something we have to keep mindful of and something that our health experts are most worried about here in New South Wales,” she said.

“The number of cases that are acquired when you don’t actually know the source of that case and that’s why we have to maintain our vigilance, that’s why we all of us have to keep sticking to the rules and all of us shouldn’t leave the home unless it’s for those four specific reasons that we outlined earlier in the week.

“If we can’t identify the source, it also means we can’t deal with the spread and that is something we’re worried about, but I’m also proud to say that New South Wales is the firsts jurisdiction to have postcode data publicly available whenever we have publicly available information, please be assured we’ll share that with you,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

Related story: Government Releases Cases by Postcode.

“Our focus has to turn to that community to community transmission,” she said.

“That is where the real risk is, that is the risk of this disease getting out of control.

“When the disease spreads in the community and you don’t know the source, that is the real threat for us in New South Wales and they’re the numbers that keeps going up and that’s what concerns me mostly,” she said.

“Because if we can’t identify the source it means it’s spreading in the community and people who might have it are unknowingly spreading it and that is where we need to turn our focus, that is what is in the best interest in our community,” said the Premier.

TIMEFRAME FOR RESTRICTIONS

“I echo what the Prime Minister said, we’re in it for at least six months, until there is a cure, until there is a vaccine, this crisis is something we need to deal with and all of us have to come to terms with that,” said the Premier.

“And why is it important for us to control the spread, why is it important for us to maintain these restrictions?

“If we didn’t stop the spread, if we didn’t put these restrictions in place, literally hundreds and thousands of people many have been presenting themselves to hospital as we speak.

“We want to make sure that when every patient does need a ventilator, or does need a bed, that that’s available,” she said.

“No health system anywhere in the world has been built for a pandemic and that’s what we’re dealing with,” said Gladys Berejiklian.

The Premier said she was thankful for the number of businesses who had registered to help support the health system with much needed medical supplies, such as producing personal protection equipment “to boost up our capacity, to make sure the hospital system is prepared as much as possible when the number of patients increases, which it will.”

HEALTH UPDATE

• There are 2,389 confirmed cases of coronavirus in New South Wales.
• There are 91 new cases.
• There have been 10 deaths.
• 209 people are receiving treatment
• 42 people in intensive care units
• 22 people are being ventilated
• 336 cases have been locally acquired with no know source

POLICE UPDATE

• 3,700 people are currently quarantined in hotels
• Another 400 Australians will return today and go into quarantine
• The first hotel of returning Australian’s will clear on Wednesday
• Yesterday there were 8 cruise ships off the NSW coast
• Currently 2 Carnival Cruises are leaving NSW waters
• On Sunday 5 Royal Caribbean ships will have refuelled, restocked and return to the port of origin
• One man was taken off the Ruby Princess for medical support yesterday
• Aspen Medical will report on conditions on board the ship and provide health advice

BUSINESS

• 75,000 small businesses will be able to apply for $10,000 to support fixed costs, utilities and rent.