NSW Health has reported a decrease in the number of new COVID-19 cases for the second consecutive day, however there is still cause for concern.

At a press conference this morning NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Grant announced that from 8pm on Wednesday to 8pm on Thursday there had been an increase of 186 new infections which has taken the state’s total to 1405.

Of the 1405 confirmed cases, 877 are overseas acquired and 278 are locally acquired but are from contact with a confirmed case or part of a known cluster.

What has raised the most concern is that the number of cases with no known source has jumped to 145.

“We are at a critical stage in the disease, the number of cases are increasing in NSW,” NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

“But the one figure that we are most worried about is the number of people that are getting it within the community, the community to community transition is what we are concerned with.

“When you have cases that come from overseas you can monitor them and you have a source but when it’s community to community transmission and you don’t have a source that means the virus is starting to spread in the community without us knowing exactly where and that is a concern.”

Ms Berejiklian reinforced the need for social distancing.

“It’s so important that all of us maintain social distancing if we have to be out and about, all of us don’t do anything unless we absolutely have to outside of our homes and make sure those most vulnerable don’t leave their homes.”

NSW Police commissioner Mick Fuller said that crime was down in most categories and called for calm, but stressed that NSW Police was dedicated to maintaining public safety in the state.

“Two days ago the health minister gave the commissioner additional powers around $1000 on the spot fines and a $5000 on the spot fines,” commissioner Fuller said.

“I gave a clear warning that the time for cautioning people over not adhering to self isolation was over.

“Prior to that we’d received around 200 Crimestopper calls for people not complying, since then that has gone up to 800 which is 600 calls in two days.

“Yesterday we issued a $1000 fine to a 65-year-old lady from Lake Macquarie and what’s disappointing is this lady had a caution on Monday to self isolate and yesterday she was found walking around the streets.

“We have to listen to the message from the premier, from the chief medical officer if we are going to get through this and minimise the loss of lives.”

See the full press conference below.

COVID-19 update Friday 27th March

Posted by NSW Health on Thursday, 26 March 2020

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