Public health resources have been scaled up to trace and contact people across NSW who are at risk of COVID-19.
Director of Contract Tracing for NSW Health, Carolyn Murray said contact tracing had been increased following the development of a central NSW Health Contact Tracing team.
“We’ve grown to a team of around 150 working day and night to follow up people who have been in contact with people diagnosed with COVID-19,” Ms Murray said.
“At any one time we can be working virtually across a number of workplaces, with the capability of making up to 1,300 calls to the community a day,” she said.
“When someone is diagnosed with COVID-19, the first step is an in-depth interview to understand their movements and who they have been in contact with while infectious.”
Ms Murray said the aim was to have those who were in contact with an infectious person isolated for the full incubation period of 14 days.
“You can be infectious without having symptoms this is why it is important if you are a close contact you follow the self-isolation advice,” she said.
The NSW Government also announced the allocation of $25 million toward research and clinical trials to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minister for Health, Brad Hazzard said the funds were part of the $800 million in additional funding to bolster the NSW health system announced last month.
