Hunter New England Health has confirmed its first case of COVID-19 in a child under the age of 10.
A three-year-old, who was already in isolation, tested positive overnight as a close contact of an adult diagnosed with coronavirus displayed mild symptoms.
To date, no children or young people aged between 0 and 18 years have required hospitalisation for COVID-19 in the Hunter New England District.
However, experts stated the diagnosis was a timely reminder that young people were susceptible to the virus and, while their symptoms were generally mild, it was important to ensure children abided by social distancing measures.
NSW Health reported that Hunter New England Health’s COVID-19 cases had increased to 254, following the addition of six new cases, as of 8pm on Tuesday 7 April.
The new cases have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days from last contact.
Currently, 12 COVID-19 patients are being cared for in Hunter New England hospitals, including five in ICU.
Across the district, an additional 12 patients have recovered in the past 24 hours, taking the total number of cases recovered to 129 so far.
One resident from the Hunter New England district has died from the virus.
