NSW has recorded three new locally acquired cases of COVID-19, all believed to be linked to the Berala cluster, and eight new overseas acquired cases in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
The new cases include a man and a woman in their 30s and a child, who are close contacts of a previously reported case.
NSW Health are investigating potential exposure at an event on 29 December.
Not included in these numbers is a man in his 40s who was diagnosed with COVID after presenting to the Mount Druitt emergency department overnight.
A household contact of the man, also in their 40s, has tested positive.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said Mount Druitt Hospital has been “extensively and thoroughly” cleaned and is now “coming back online”.
The source of the Mount Druitt case is still under investigation with no direct link yet found.
With more than 18,000 tests recorded in the last 24 hours and 23,000 the previous day, Dr Chant said it was “essential” to strive for consistently 25,000 tests.
“I’d like to see 30,000 as we push to get no community transmission,” she said, “particularly in South West Sydney and Western Sydney.”
NSW’s new cases were announced just after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the easing of lockdown from 6pm tonight, 11 January, after the third day of zero new cases.
Ms Palaszczuk called the successful lockdown a “world first and Australian first” and said she wanted to ensure the Queensland Government had acted quickly and decisively.
However, residents of Greater Brisbane will be required to wear masks at public indoor locations such as supermarkets until 22 January.
For the latest COVID-19 case locations and alerts in NSW, visit health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/case-locations-and-alerts.aspx
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