Tense wait for more than 100 health workers who were forced into isolation after coronavirus clusters emerged at two hospitals
- Staff at Liverpool and Concord hospitals emergency departments in isolation
- More than 100 workers from the two hospitals are waiting on COVID-19 results
- It was reported on Saturday a worker could have worked at both while infected
More than 100 health workers are in isolation waiting on coronavirus tests after an outbreak at two hospitals in Sydney.
There were four new COVID-19 cases in NSW on Monday - a returned overseas traveller and three healthcare workers at Sydney's Concord Repatriation General Hospital and Liverpool Hospital.
The three healthcare workers were diagnosed during investigations into an emergency department doctor, reported on Saturday, who worked at the two hospitals while potentially infectious.
Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant (pictured) three new COVID-19 cases were diagnosed at two Sydney Hospitals
There were four new COVID-19 cases in NSW on Monday - a returned overseas traveller and three healthcare workers at Sydney's Concord Repatriation General Hospital (pictured, where staff have been diagnosed with COVID-19) and Liverpool Hospital
Another case, a visitor to a hospital emergency department where the doctor worked or sought treatment, will be included in Tuesday's numbers, taking the cluster to five.
Patients considered close contacts and all staff at Concord and Liverpool EDs at the same times as the positive cases are being isolated and tested.
The three newly reported health workers say they had no symptoms while at work, and also wore personal protective equipment while caring for patients.
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Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said there was no evidence to suggest NSW hospitals weren't operating safely and effectively, and urged people not to delay urgent care.
Authorities suspect at least one of the new cases caught the virus while both parties were wearing masks.
'For some of the cases there isn't that clear-cut direct contact without a surgical mask,' Dr Chant told reporters on Monday.
'We are exploring avenues of whether there could be transmission.
'What that means in lay terms is if your hands are contaminated, and then you're touching computer screens or touching pens and pencils pieces of paper, can you actually transmit the virus?'
Authorities suspect at least one of the new cases caught the virus while both parties were wearing masks. Pictured: Healthcare workers in PPE in Melbourne
Patients considered close contacts and all staff at Concord and Liverpool EDs (pictured) at the same times as the positive cases are being isolated and tested
Saturday's reported case worked at Liverpool Hospital's emergency department while potentially infections on September 3 between 8am and 6pm.
The healthcare worker also worked at Concord Repatriation General Hospital between 2pm and midnight on September 1.
Two of the new cases reported on Monday worked at Liverpool Hospital between September 2 and September 4
The third case worked at Concord's emergency department between 7pm on September 1 until 7am the next day.
Meanwhile, Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Monday confirmed school formals and graduations would be allowed to go ahead in term 4, Despite a number of outbreaks in schools in recent months.
