THERE were no new coronavirus cases detected in the Hunter over the weekend despite a surge in testing prompted by three brothers, all positive cases, who had visited schools, licensed venues and McDonald Jones Stadium.
Health authorities on high alert for an outbreak of community transmission in the region have taken solace from a weekend that produced no new confirmed cases, but are urging people to remain vigilant and get tested if they have been at one of the listed locations or develop symptoms.
NSW Health said on Sunday that NSW had recorded 10 new cases, with two under investigation with no known links to other sources.
One case is a returned international traveller and seven were locally acquired, all close contacts of known cases.
One of the new cases included a second student from Tangara School for Girls in northern Sydney.
The positive case will force the closure of the school for two weeks and has cast uncertainty over HSC trial exams.
The other new cases diagnosed on Saturday included a Hornsby Hospital healthcare worker and a student at Our Lady of Mercy College in Parramatta.
Four of the cases are linked to a cluster associated with funeral events in Bankstown and surrounding suburbs.
There were 31,681 tests reported in the 24-hour reporting period, compared with 24,421 in the previous 24 hours in which nine cases were detected.
Victoria recorded 17 deaths and 394 new cases on Sunday, taking the national death toll to 295.
Hunter New England Health's public health team is continuing to search for potential further contacts of the family coronavirus cluster that closed St Pius X, Adamstown and St Francis Xavier's College, Hamilton last week.
Three brothers in the family tested positive but not their parents.
The two schools underwent extensive cleaning following the positive test results.
St Pius X will reopen to staff and students who have not been identified as close contacts on Monday, while St Francis Xavier's College will reopen on Tuesday.
St Francis Xavier said it did not expect the coronavirus disruption would affect the upcoming Higher School Certificate trial exams.
