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Seventeen new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in the 24 hours to 8.00pm last night, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 3,496.

There were 22,032 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 25,139 in the previous 24 hours.

Four of the new cases are linked to the funeral gatherings cluster, three are household contacts of cases associated with Thai Rock Wetherill Park, and two are under investigation. Eight are returned travellers in hotel quarantine.

NSW Health announced last night that there are now two cases linked to the Thai Rock Restaurant at Potts Point. A diner who visited the restaurant on Friday, 17 July tested positive last week, and a staff member has now been confirmed as also being a case. Investigations to date have not identified links between cases at the two Thai Rock restaurants. The staff member is not included in the three cases linked to Thai Rock Wetherill Park today, and further investigations are under way.

Anyone who was at Thai Rock Potts Point for two hours or more between Wednesday, 15 July and Saturday, 25 July is directed to immediately be tested for COVID-19 and self-isolate for 14 days regardless of symptoms. Anyone who was there for less than two hours on these dates should monitor for symptoms and immediately isolate and seek testing if symptoms appear.

A couple who tested positive for COVID-19 following the Bankstown funeral gatherings attended two restaurants while infectious. Anyone who attended Tan Viet Noodle House Cabramatta (AKA Crispy Chicken Noodle House) between 1pm and 2pm on Wednesday, 22 July, or An Restaurant Bankstown between 9am and 11am on Thursday, 23 July is asked to watch for symptoms and get tested if symptoms appear.

A student at Georges River Grammar School in Sydney’s south-west also tested positive yesterday and is included in today’s figures. The school is closed for cleaning, and close contacts are being directed to self-isolate. The case is linked to the funeral cluster.

There are now 70 cases associated with the Thai Rock Wetherill Park (including 11 associated with Our Lady of Lebanon Church), 56 cases associated with the Crossroads Hotel cluster, eight cases associated with the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, and nine associated with the funerals. There were no new cases today linked to the Crossroads Hotel or the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club.

While most cases have been linked to known clusters, community transmission continues and NSW Health is calling on people across the state to redouble their efforts to stop the virus spreading.

Key messages for the community are:

• Avoid non-essential travel and gatherings. Of particular concern is transmission in venues such as hotels and restaurants, the gym and social gatherings.
• Anyone feeling unwell – even with the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat – must seek testing and self-isolate until they get the result. Stay at home, and do not go to work or catch public transport until you are cleared of COVID-19
• At all times stay 1.5 m from other people. Don’t go anywhere there is crowding.
• Clean your hands regularly with soap and running water for 20 seconds or use alcohol base hand rub.
• Cough and sneeze into your elbow.
• Don’t host, or go to, a gathering of more than 10 people at home (not withstanding that the legal limit is 20 people).
• Don’t go to the gym unless the equipment is thoroughly cleaned before and after customer use by supervising staff or yourself, and there is good spacing between machines and customers.
• Consider using a mask in situations where you are unable to social distance, particularly indoors.

NSW Health is urging anyone in the Harris Park and Middleton Grange area to monitor for symptoms and get tested even if they have the mildest of symptoms. A full list of is available or people can visit their GP.

Anyone directed to undertake a 14-day self-isolation period must stay in isolation for the full period, even if they test negative. This is because early testing may not detect an infection, and release from self-isolation based on a negative test could allow an infectious person to infect others in the community. The self-isolation period is 14 days as most people who are infected and develop symptoms will develop symptoms within 14 days of infection.

There are 101 COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health. Five people in intensive care, with one being ventilated. Ninety per cent of cases are in non-acute, out-of-hospital care. In NSW, 2,800 people are known to have recovered from COVID-19.

Confirmed cases to date

Counts reported for a particular day may vary over time with ongoing enhanced surveillance activities.

Returned travellers in hotel quarantine to date