The New South Wales Health Department this week wrongly advised 60,000 people that they had tested positive for Covid-19.

A text message was sent to thousands of people telling them they had contracted the virus and advising them to get anti-viral medicine if they felt seriously unwell.

Messages were sent to people who had not even been tested for Covid. Other messages referred to positive tests conducted two years ago.

The message, which the department later said was mistakenly sent out due to a “technical error”, was quickly followed up by a second text apologising for the mistake.

One text message recipient posted joked online: "I knew NSW Health had back logs, but to wait over 2 years to tell you? That's hilarious.”

Another wrote: "How strange to receive that text when you didn't even take a test.”

A NSW Health spokesperson said the error would be “thoroughly investigated”.