Baby and seven year old are diagnosed with coronavirus

Two-month old baby and a seven-year-old are diagnosed with deadly coronavirus amid a huge spike in cases in NSW as total number of infections soars to 2,317 overnight

A two-month-old baby and a seven-year-old are among the new coronavirus cases overnight – as infections in Australia rose to 2,317 on Wednesday. 

New South Wales recorded another big jump in COVID-19 cases on Tuesday night, with the state total scaling above 1,000.   

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said an increase in cases was expected and health authorities are enforcing strict quarantine. 

‘I want to stress that the number of cases in NSW continue to rise but the important thing to note has for every identified case there is strong enforcement, strong compliance and we are making sure that people stick to the rules,’ she said on Wednesday morning. 

Coronavirus infections in Australia rose to 2,317 on Wednesday morning

‘The vast majority of those cases, however, are still overseas-acquired or otherwise direct contacts of that overseas person.’

‘I also want to stress and thank all of our health officials, NSW has some of the best stats in the world in terms of the proportion of testing we’ve done.’

NSW Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant said 500 of the state’s 1029 infections were overseas-acquired.

‘176 were locally acquired or a contact of a confirmed case, or associated with a cluster, and 74 of locally acquired,’ she said. 

‘We have a large number of cases under investigation, 279, but we work incredibly hard in the morning to get that resolved by the afternoon so we have a true picture of the disease transmission in the community.’ 

Dr Chant also announced the first two cases of infection in children under 10 in NSW.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said an increase in cases was expected and health authorities are enforcing strict quarantine

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said an increase in cases was expected and health authorities are enforcing strict quarantine

NSW Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant said 500 of NSW's 1029 infections were overseas-acquired

NSW Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant said 500 of NSW’s 1029 infections were overseas-acquired

CORONAVIRUS CASES IN AUSTRALIA: 2,317

New South Wales: 1029

Victoria: 466

Queensland: 397

Western Australia: 175

South Australia: 170

Australian Capital Territory: 39

Tasmania: 36 

Northern Territory: 5

TOTAL CASES:  2,317

DEAD: 8

‘We’ve got two children that are under the age of 10 years have been confirmed on 24 March,’ she said. 

‘A two-month-old boy who was tested following close contact with a confirmed adult case and he’s had minimal symptoms and isolated at home. 

‘In a separate unrelated case we have a seven-year-old girl who was tested following close contact with a confirmed adult case. Again has minimal symptoms and isolated at home.’

Dr Chant said NSW’s youngest confirmed case was previously a 12-year-old girl. 

She also reinforced Ms Berejiklian’s instructions for return travellers and close contacts of COVID-19 patients to abide by self-isolation rules.

‘We have clear instructions about what self-isolation means,’ she said.

‘If people follow those clear directions you will not be posing a risk to any other members of the household, or the broader community and that is imperative for us to get on top of the transmission of this virus.’ 

Victoria has 466 confirmed cases of infection, with an additional 55 cases announced on Wednesday.  

More to come 

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks at a press conference during COVID-19 crisis

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks at a press conference during COVID-19 crisis 

 

 

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