COVID-19 detected in Western Sydney sewage

COVID-19 has been detected in sewage that services suburbs including Parramatta, Merrylands, Granville, Harris Park and Auburn.

NSW recorded zero new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.

There was one case recorded in a returned traveller. Two previous cases have been excluded after further investigations, bringing the total number of COVID-19 cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 4,894.

There were 17,431 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day’s total of 12,213. Yesterday’s testing numbers appeared lower after a minor IT issue delayed the inclusion of approximately 6,000 negative tests, which are included in today’s numbers. There were no delays reporting test results to individuals who had been tested.

Confirmed cases (incl. interstate residents in NSW health care facilities)	4,894
Deaths (in NSW from confirmed cases)	56
Total tests carried out	4,541,913

NSW Health continues to urge people across the state to come forward for testing with the mildest symptoms. High testing rates are necessary to give confidence that no cases are going undetected in the community. Everyone who gets tested is playing an important role in helping to contain the spread of COVID-19.

NSW Health’s sewage surveillance program has recently detected fragments of the virus that causes COVID-19 at sewage treatment plants in Camellia and Auburn, which take in a catchment of almost 180,000 people from Lidcombe, Rookwood, Strathfield, Homebush West, Chullora, Rydalmere, Camellia, Rosehill, Silverwater, Clyde, Newington, Sydney Olympic Park, Bankstown, Yagoona, Bass Hill, Sefton, Birrong, Potts Hill, Condell Park, Chester Hill, Old Guildford, Berala, Guildford, South Granville, Auburn, Regents Park, Merrylands, Parramatta, Holroyd, Granville, Harris Park, Merrylands West, and Guildford West.

While this likely reflects known recent confirmed cases in these areas, NSW Health urges everyone living or working there to monitor for symptoms and get tested and isolate immediately if they appear.

There are more than 350 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW, many of which are open seven days a week. To find your nearest clinic visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/how-to-protect-yourself-and-others/clinics or contact your GP.

People are urged to check the NSW Government website for regularly updated details of venues of concern, and affected public transport routes, and are asked to follow the health advice provided.

NSW Health is treating 88 COVID-19 cases, none of whom are in intensive care. Most cases (97 per cent) are being treated in non-acute, out-of-hospital care, including returned travellers in the Special Health Accommodation.

Likely source of confirmed COVID-19 cases in NSW:

Likely source of infection	Cases past 24 hours*	Cases past 7 days**	All cases
Overseas	1	33	2,716
Interstate	0	0	90
Locally acquired – linked to known case or cluster	0	6	1,642
Locally acquired – no links to known case or cluster	0	0	439
Locally acquired – investigation ongoing	0	1	7
Under initial investigation	0	0	0
Total	1	40	4,894
Note: Case counts reported for a particular day may vary over time due to ongoing investigations and case review.
*notified from 8pm 20 January 2021 to 8pm 21 January 2021 **from 8pm 15 January 2021 to 8pm 21 January 2021

Returned travellers in hotel quarantine to date:

Since 29 March 2020:	Count
Symptomatic travellers tested	9,243
Found positive	191
Since 30 June 2020:	Count
Asymptomatic travellers screened at day 2	69,978
Found positive	451
From 15 May 2020 to 12 January 2021:	Count
Asymptomatic travellers screened at day 10	79,623
Found positive	182
Since 13 January 2021	Count
Asymptomatic travellers screened at day 12*	2,711
Found positive	3

* Testing previously carried out on day 10 is now carried out on day 12.