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Eighteen 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 3,547.

There were 27,147 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 18,543 in the previous 24 hours.

Of the eighteen new cases:

• two are linked to the funeral gatherings cluster
• four are associated with the Thai Rock Wetherill Park cluster
• four are associated with The Apollo restaurant in Potts Point
• two are returned travellers in hotel quarantine
• six are under investigation.

With the growing number of cases in the area, NSW Health is again asking all people who live in, or have visited, the following areas in the past two weeks to get tested if they have any symptoms of COVID-19 at all, even the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat:

• Potts Point area
• Carnes Hill shops
• Prestons
• Bonnyrigg
• Wetherill Park
• Mt Pritchard
• Bankstown City Plaza
• Cabramatta
• Perisher

A case attended Frank’s Pizza Bar Restaurant in Camperdown on 26 July from 6pm to 8pm. People who were at this restaurant at the same time are advised to monitor for symptoms and immediately self-isolate and seek testing if they develop symptoms, however mild.

Three cases have now attended the Mounties at Mount Pritchard and new times have been identified. Anyone who attended the club from 6 pm Wednesday 22 July to 3am on Saturday 25 July must isolate and get tested regardless of symptoms, but stay isolated for a full 14 days even if they test negative. If symptoms develop, get tested again.

NSW Health can advise there have been several school and childcare closures today.

Fort Street High School will be non-operational due to a possible case of COVID-19. The person concerned is being tested and the results will be confirmed today. More information is available on .

Everlearn Childcare Centre in Prestons will be closed today, after a possible case, a child who attended while they may have been infectious. Test results are pending. The childcare centre will be closed whilst contact tracing and deep cleaning is underway.

A student at Mary Immaculate Catholic Primary School in Bossley Park and a student at Freeman Catholic College in Bonnyrigg have tested positive for COVID-19. Both students have been in isolation since the weekend. Neither student has been in attendance since the sites underwent their deep clean. Additional contact tracing is underway.

There are now 89 cases associated with Thai Rock Wetherill Park, 57 cases associated with the Crossroads Hotel cluster, eight cases associated with Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, and 20 associated with the funerals. There are eleven cases associated with the Potts Point cluster.

This morning a new case has been reported in a prisoner in Parklea Correctional Centre. The case has been in isolation. Contact tracing and environmental cleaning is underway; and the inmate has been asymptomatic throughout.

NSW Health has recently started a research program to test sewage for traces of COVID-19 across the state. This research supports the public health response to the pandemic. Sampling has commenced at a number of metropolitan and regional locations across NSW. Initial samples collected at the Perisher sewage treatment plant on Wednesday 22 July 2020 returned a positive result for the presence of COVID-19. Further sampling and analysis is required to assess the significance of this initial positive result. The positive sewage result can be due to shedding of the virus by someone who may have previously had the illness, with the virus ‘shedding’ through their system for up to four weeks later.

While no cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Perisher or Thredbo to date, it’s important that anyone who was in this area get tested if they have even the mildest of symptoms.

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.

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 100 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