The Berejiklian government will for the first time pinpoint active coronavirus cases by postcode using new heat maps which will also show recovery rates and testing numbers by suburb.
As the state's lockdown restrictions begin to be relaxed from Friday, NSW will launch Australia-first maps revealing up-to-date information about COVID-19 cases and testing rates.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she hoped the de-identified NSW Health data would encourage an increasing number of people to be tested for coronavirus.
More than 7300 tests were conducted in NSW on Wednesday. The state's goal is 8000 a day.
"NSW has one of the highest COVID-19 testing rates in the world. We have tested more than 200,000 people and have capacity to test more than 110,000 in a fortnight," Ms Berejiklian said.
"This new way of showing NSW Health data will help communities understand the numbers of people being tested, and encourage more people with symptoms to come forward for testing when they see the impact COVID-19 is having on their local area.
"It also provides encouraging data showing how people are bouncing back from the virus."
The drive-through coronavirus testing clinic at Bondi Beach. The NSW government wants more people to be tested.Credit:Nick Moir
The national cabinet will meet on Friday, with the coronavirus surveillance plan, aged care, mental health and the return of professional and recreational sport on the agenda.
Three more residents at the Anglicare Newmarch House aged care facility in Sydney's west have tested positive for COVID-19, taking the number of new cases in NSW on Thursday to five.
There have been 37 residents who have tested positive to the virus and 12 have died, while 60 staff are in self-isolation and 22 have COVID-19. The facility has the biggest cluster in NSW outside the Ruby Princess cruise ship.
Two cases unrelated to Newmarch were also recorded in NSW, including one connected to a known source and another which is under investigation.
There have been 6753 confirmed cases in Australia and 91 deaths. The ACT has become the first state or territory to be free of known cases of COVID-19.
As testing numbers rise and the number of new cases drop in NSW, restrictions will begin to be eased on Friday, allowing two adults and dependent children to visit family and friends.
The two-person gathering limit will still apply to public places.
The Premier said there were other significant changes this month including students returning to classrooms from May 11 and the expectation that some retail outlets would reopen.
"We don't want to see a huge spike in cases that makes the situation unmanageable and for us to revert back to what April looked like," Ms Berejiklian said.
"We want NSW to keep moving forward, we want NSW to keep being able to look at new options in the future to ease restrictions."
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said testing numbers were up 2000 on the previous 24 hours.
"This is probably the single data point that gives me confidence around community transmission," Dr Chant said.
Meanwhile, the new heat maps reveal, for example, that in Liverpool there were fewer than 1000 tests a month ago but that has climbed to more than 2600 at recent count.
In Orange, where confirmed cases reached 10, NSW Health has tested more than 1000 people, which the government says has helped slow any increases.
NSW Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the maps would build on the transparency of existing data and help the community stay informed.
"Providing these heat maps to the public makes NSW a leader in the delivery of live information about COVID-19," Mr Dominello said.
"At this point in time, it shows the community is rising to the challenge and doing the right thing by our state."
with Laura Chung and Mary Ward
Alexandra Smith is the State Political Editor of The Sydney Morning Herald.
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2020-04-30 18:41:58Z
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