COVID-19 claims an eighth NSW life

Eight people have now died in NSW having tested positive to COVID-19 following the death of a female patient in her 90s this morning.

The lady, who became the 14th Australian COVID-19 victim, was a resident of the Dorothy Henderson Lodge.

NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant announced today that as at 8pm Friday, March 27, an additional 212 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed, since 8pm Thursday, March 26, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in NSW to 1,617.

NSW Health has said that there are currently 147 COVID-19 cases being treated in NSW, including 22 cases in our intensive care units and, of those, 11 require ventilators at this stage.

Meanwhile the county’s new passenger arrival quarantine rules has been put into practice in NSW.

Two international flights arrived in Sydney overnight and this morning with 245 passengers. Airport screening was immediately commenced, including symptom assessment and temperature, and no passengers were identified as being unwell.

All passengers are subject to the requirement for 14 day isolation under ministerial direction. This includes those who were able to safety return to their place of residence as well as around 150 people who are in quarantine in two Sydney hotels.

Speaking alongside Dr Chant this afternoon at a press conference update were NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller and Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott.

The Premier declared her support for the Federal Government’s new set of rules regarding returning travellers self isolating in hotels and other types of accomodation upon arrival into the country.

See the full press conference below.