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For the third day in a row, no cases of locally acquired COVID-19 were diagnosed in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

Seven cases were reported in overseas travellers in hotel quarantine, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 4,280 since the start of the pandemic.

There were 9,499 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with 13,721 in the previous 24 hours.

NSW Health is treating 63 COVID-19 cases. One patient is in intensive care and does not require ventilation. Ninety-five per cent of cases being treated by NSW Health are in non-acute, out-of-hospital care.

NSW Health would like to thank recent cases in the Moss Vale area, in the Southern Highlands, for coming forward for testing, which helps protect other members of the community.

As the original source of infections has not yet been found, we are concerned that other people in the broader Southern Highlands area may have unrecognised infection. NSW Health is calling on people in this area to come forward for testing if they have even the mildest COVID-19 symptoms. The new walk-in COVID-19 clinic at Moss Vale Showground, 16 Illawarra Highway, Moss Vale remains open from 9am to 5pm.

Testing allows us to prevent onward transmission by helping us identify as many cases in the community as quickly as possible. Every person who comes forward for testing is playing an important role in helping to contain the spread of COVID-19.

NSW Health is also calling on people in the Rouse Hill area to get tested if they have even the mildest COVID-19 symptoms after the state’s sewage surveillance program detected traces of the virus in the area. The catchment takes sewage from approximately 120,000 people.

Fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 have been detected in samples taken on Thursday 5 November from the sewerage system that drains parts of Quakers Hill, Castle Hill, Annangrove, Kellyville, Box Hill, Kenthurst, Glenhaven, The Ponds, Rouse Hill, North Kellyville, Kellyville Ridge, Beaumont Hills, Stanhope Gardens, Baulkham Hills, Glenwood, Bella Vista, Parklea, Acacia Gardens and Norwest.

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 six to eight weeks later. The last locally acquired case who lives in this area was reported on Tuesday 8 September so there are concerns that other people living or working in the area may have the infection without knowing it. If this is the case, we need the community’s support to find any cases by getting tested.

To help stop the spread of COVID-19:

• If you are unwell, get tested and isolate right away – don’t delay.
• Wash your hands regularly. Take hand sanitiser with you when you go out.
• Keep your distance. Leave 1.5 metres between yourself and others.
• Wear a mask when using public transport, rideshares and taxis, and in shops, places of worship and other places where you can’t physically distance. When taking taxis or rideshares, commuters should also sit in the back.

There are more than 300 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW. To find your nearest clinic visit or contact your GP. Most people receive their test results within 24 hours.

Likely source of confirmed COVID-19 cases in NSW

Note: Case counts reported for a particular day may vary over time due to ongoing investigations and case review.

*notified from 8pm on 7 November 2020 to 8pm 8 November 2020

**from 8pm 2 November 2020 to 8pm 8 November 2020

Returned travellers in hotel quarantine to date