Updated
A 69-year-old man has died from coronavirus, as NSW recorded another 49 cases of the virus, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the state to 2,822.
Key points:
- NSW's latest fatality, a 69-year-old man, had travelled interstate to Queensland
- Health authorities remained focussed on locally-acquired coronavirus cases
- Mr Hazzard said he was "disgusted" by reports of healthcare worker abuse
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the man died in a Newcastle hospital overnight, bringing the total coronavirus death toll in NSW to 22.
He said he recognised the totals were more than "just numbers".
"These are people whose families will be missing them today," he said.
"On behalf of all of the community of New South Wales, and on behalf of the Government and all involved, our sincerest sympathies are with your family."
NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said the 69-year-old man "acquired the disease locally, probably during a recent trip interstate... to Queensland".
"We'll have a long journey with this virus, and we have to continue to have high rates of testing, stamp on it, and to take local action around the isolation of those cases and the quarantining of their contacts," she said.
Widespread coronavirus testing in NSW has seen a total of 4,444 tests done, with 538 tests completed in the 24 hours to 8:00pm.
Dr Chant said test results could be returned in the Sydney metropolitan area within 24 hours, but issues remained with testing in regional and rural areas due to the time required to transport specimens to the city.
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Mr Hazzard reinforced his anger about healthcare workers who were subject to abuse, and stressed that tough penalties of $5,000 would apply to perpetrators.
"We will not put up with spitting or coughing on our frontline health workers, whether it's cleaners, doctors, nurses," he said
He said it would be at police discretion whether the $5,000 fine was escalated to a court appearance and possible jail time.
"If the police choose to, they can actually enforce a court attendance notice and a charge, which would allow an $11,000 fine and six months' imprisonment," he warned.
Mr Hazzard said the on-the-spot fines were "quite unprecedented" but that their severity reflected "community disgust" about the issue.
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"It is absolutely disgusting to think that anybody would think it's OK to cough or spit on a police officer or a health worker at any time, let alone in the world's worst virus crisis for a hundred years."
NSW Deputy Police Commissioner Gary Worboys said nearly 50 people had been issued $1,000 infringement notices for disobeying social distancing laws in the past 24 hours.
He also reiterated warnings about inessential travel across the Easter long weekend, with a heightened police presence to enforce the rules on the road.
As of 8:00pm yesterday, there were 6,103 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Australia.
Topics: covid-19, diseases-and-disorders, respiratory-diseases, infectious-diseases-other, health, nsw, australia, sydney-2000
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