Two new COVID-19 cases and changes to hospital visiting rules.

Hunter New England Health is now providing care and support to two additional people confirmed to have COVID-19:

• A female in her 40s is in home isolation after recently returning from the US, and
• A female in her 60s is currently receiving care in Manning Hospital while the source of her infection continues to be investigated.

This takes the total number of cases of COVID-19 in Hunter New England to seven. There is no connection between these two new cases and any cases previously confirmed in the District.

Arriving in Sydney on American Airlines flight AA0073 from Los Angeles on 11 March 2020, the female in her 40s. NSW Health is asking anyone who travelled on this flight to be alert for fever or respiratory symptoms. If they develop any of these symptoms, they should contact their GP or present to an Emergency Department.

Health staff continue to undertake daily wellness checks with all confirmed cases in the District.

Hunter New England Health is contacting close contacts of the two new cases, who are also being asked to self-isolate for 14 days from last contact. They will be contacted every day to check that they are well and any contact who develops COVID-19 symptoms will be tested for the infection.

For the safety of our patients, staff and the general community, Hunter New England Health is taking steps to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading by changing our guidelines on visits to hospitals and inpatient facilities.

We are now limiting visitors to patients in our facilities to one visitor at a time, and only those who are main care givers or a significant other.

Visitors must not enter any hospital or facility if:
• They have a fever or a cold and flu-like illness
• They have been overseas in the last 14 days
• They have been in contact with anyone who has COVID-19 in the last 14 days.