Health authorities in NSW have confirmed 18 new coronavirus infections in the 24 hours to 8:00pm yesterday.

NSW Health said it conducted said it conducted 27,147 COVID-19 tests and two of the confirmed cases were returned overseas travellers in hotel quarantine.

The latest figures come as several Sydney government and Catholic schools and preschools were closed today due to confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases.

Fort Street High School in Sydney’s inner-west and EverLearn preschool in the south-west, were closed for the day while authorities investigated a possible COVID-19 case.

Meanwhile, two Catholic schools in the city’s west, which only re-opened yesterday after two confirmed cases, was shut down again for two weeks as a precaution.

More to come.