Nurse worked on COVID-19 ward two days before developing symptoms
A nurse from the Sydney Adventist Hospital had worked in the hospital’s COVID-19 isolation ward two days before they became unwell.
The nurse was one of five coronavirus cases confirmed in NSW on Thursday, which NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said was "one of the best results we've had".
"We know that these restrictions that we've had in place are working," she said.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks to the media during a press conference in Sydney on Thursday morning. Credit:AAP
A paramedic from Liverpool Ambulance superstation and a worker and resident from a western Sydney aged care facility were among the new confirmed cases, taking the state total to 2976.
The two new cases at Newmarch House in Cadden takes the total number of cases at the home to date to 44, including 15 staff and 29 residents. On Thursday, a fourth resident from the facility was confirmed dead, a 79-year-old woman.
A spokeswoman for Sydney Adventist said the nurse did not work while sick, but they had worked one shift on the COVID isolation ward in the 48-hours before they developed symptoms. Medical experts believe people may be infectious during that period.
“Two days later, when symptoms suddenly became apparent, despite having a normal range temperature when checked on arrival at work, prior to commencing, the nurse was immediately sent home for testing,” the spokeswoman said.
“It is unknown if the virus was contracted in the hospital or in the community."
Five close contacts of the nurse have been identified and are self isolating, however the hospital spokeswoman did not say whether those contacts included other staff or patients. NSW Health said there was no ongoing risk.
“The hospital has had health screening checks including temperature testing for all staff at the start of each shift for several weeks and similar processes for all doctors and hospital visitors,” the spokeswoman said. “All personal protective equipment protocols are being followed."
The hospital was also performing “extremely stringent and government compliant” extra cleaning processes.
The paramedic, who is being treated in hospital, is the first paramedic in the state to be diagnosed, NSW Ambulance confirmed.
Health Services Union secretary Gerard Hayes said the risk of COVID-19 infection added another layer of stress to the job of paramedics as potential exposure to the disease was a “risk of every job they do”.
“COVID-19 is a serious virus, but it does not stop the fact people are still having heart attacks, having strokes, and car accidents,” he said.
“The day-to-day life of paramedics continues, and this is just another level of proactive focus they need to bring to their job.”
NSW Health said all close contacts of the paramedic were being identified and isolated.
Mr Hayes said the union has been in contact with the man's family and offered them assistance, and NSW Ambulance has also offered their support to the paramedic’s colleagues and family.
There are 219 COVID-19 patients being treated in the state with 21 people being treated in intensive care, and 15 of those are on ventilators. More than 2000 people have recovered.