NSW health authorities are turning their focus to stopping the spread of COVID-19 cases linked to a western Sydney nursing home where 41 people have become infected.
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But with just six new cases reported in NSW on Monday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has expressed her satisfaction with the low rate of infection across the community.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in NSW sat on Monday at 2963, with 22 people in intensive care. NSW Health on Monday confirmed that a second person at the Newmarch House nursing home in Caddens, a 94-year-old man, had died.
Operator Anglicare had on Sunday afternoon announced the man's death.
Newmarch House is home to about 100 people, with 27 residents and 14 staff infected with coronavirus as of Sunday night and strict isolation protocols in place.
The 94-year-old man was the second person from the facility to die of COVID-19 after a 93-year-old male resident died the previous day.
Their deaths brought the state's COVID-19 death toll to 30.
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said extensive testing had been undertaken at the facility and the focus was now on stopping the spread of the virus.
We know the agriculture and primary industry sector isn't as impacted as others when it comes to the virus, they're able to keep growing, employ people.
A worker with very mild symptoms entered Newmarch House six days in a row, leading Dr Chant to warn even those with minimal symptoms to avoid work and get tested.
"The rationale for that is that the implications for you introducing COVID-19 into those settings can be significant," Dr Chant told reporters on Monday.
"We are aware that in those settings we see an amplification and spread of COVID-19 and we want to interrupt spread in those settings at the earliest possible time."
Both Dr Chant and Ms Berejiklian said they were pleased by the low current rate of community infection but said it was too soon to relax restrictions.
"We're pleased with the trends but of course remaining consistently low is the challenge, as is making sure we reduce that community-to-community transmission - that is what can cause a flare-up," Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Monday.
Meanwhile, nine more crew members of the Ruby Princess cruise ship on Sunday tested positive to COVID-19, taking the total number of crew infected to 171.
The ship remains docked at Port Kembla, where it will stay until at least Thursday.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard on Sunday thanked the community for its strong response to coronavirus restrictions as modelling done in early March came to light.
The projection examining the effect of tougher measures suggested 700 deaths and 35,000 cases would be recorded in NSW by April 15 if nothing was done.
The state government on Monday, meanwhile, pledged an additional $140 million for agricultural and primary industries in the state amid the pandemic.
"We know the agriculture and primary industry sector isn't as impacted as others when it comes to the virus, they're able to keep growing, employ people," Ms Berejiklian said
"They're able to be supported, especially given the huge hit they took over summer with the bushfires."
Australian Associated Press
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