NSW has seen a major drop in new coronavirus infections over the Easter long weekend, recording fewer cases than Tasmania over the past three days.
In the 24 hours to 8:00pm yesterday, there were seven new COVID-19 cases in NSW, bringing the total number since Saturday to just 23.
In Tasmania, where an outbreak in the state's north west shut two hospitals at the weekend, there have been 28 cases over the same period.
While there was a decline in testing over the Easter weekend, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she was "encouraged" by the low number of new cases in Australia's worst-affected coronavirus state.
"I shouldn't be so pleased but I am," Ms Berejiklian said.
"Because if you look at other countries in the world … and you look at where they have gone compared to where we have gone, I think we should feel satisfied that we have contained the spread to the extent that we have."
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said there was a "high level of compliance" to lockdown rules over the Easter long weekend.
The number of new infections in NSW peaked three weeks ago, when 212 were recorded.
The total number of COVID-19 cases in NSW is now 2,870.
| New infections | Total tests | |
| Monday (13/4) | 7 | 1,422 |
| Sunday (12/4) | 9 | 2,603 |
| Saturday (11/4) | 7 | 840 |
| Friday (10/4) | 44 | 3,505 |
| Thursday (9/4) | 49 | 4,444 |
| Wednesday (8/4) | 39 | 3,906 |
| Tuesday (7/4) | 48 | 2,945 |
More than 150,000 tests have been undertaken in NSW to date, which is roughly 50 per cent of Australia's total.
Ms Berejiklian said this high level of testing was making a significant difference and controlling the spread of the virus.
"But as good as [the rates] are we want to do more testing, the unknown for us is how much community-to-community transmission is there without us knowing about it," she said.
Clusters of coronavirus cases in Penrith, the Inner West, Liverpool, Randwick, Waverley, Woollahra, Blacktown, Cumberland, Westmead, Ryde, Manning and Lake Macquarie have been identified.
Anyone with symptoms in those local government areas can get tested if they have symptoms.
This morning the Premier announced a new service which would allow patients to receive same-day results if they tested negative for coronavirus.
"That is a huge step for us," Ms Berejiklian said.
Before now, it has taken up to a week for patients to receive notice that they tested negative.
Last night, another crew member was evacuated from the Ruby Princess cruise ship, which is docked at Port Kembla, for health issues not related to coronavirus.
Commissioner Fuller said interviews with key witnesses on board would continue this week as part of the criminal investigation into the decision to allow 2,700 passengers to disembark in Sydney last month.
"There is a chance that we have to interview every passenger on that ship," he said.
The Premier said the investigation would take six months and CrimeStoppers had already received 200 calls from the public.
