KEMPSEY, along with the rest of regional NSW, will remain under lockdown until at least August 28.
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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that at her daily COVID briefing this morning.
It was widely expected that Kempsey Shire, Port Macquarie-Hastings and Nambucca Valley would remain under an extended lockdown after a 14-year-old girl tested positive at Kempsey on Sunday after travelling to Newcastle.
However, the Premier said all of regional NSW would face an additional seven-day lockdown as a precautionary measure.
She noted there was a chance to "get down to zero cases" in the regions, despite outbreaks of coronavirus in the Hunter and Central West.
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Earlier this morning, health authorities confirmed there are no sites of concern connected to the positive COVID case at Kempsey.
At noon today a drive-through COVID testing clinic will open at Riverside Park and will operate until 6pm. After today the station will be open from 8am to 6pm weekdays and 8am to 4pm on weekends. It will also accept walk-ins.
In the Premier's briefing, highlight announcements included:
- 110,000 received a vaccination yesterday.
- 53 per cent of the eligible population across NSW has now received at least one dose of the vaccine.
- 119,000 were tested for coronavirus yesterday
- There were 681 cases of community transmission in the 24 hours to 8 o'clock last night
- There was one death - a man aged in his 80s.
"Regional NSW will also remain in lockdown as a precaution for this time, there are vast areas of regional NSW where there are not any cases, but everybody would appreciate and expect us to take a precautionary response," Ms Berejiklian said.
Newcastle was the only Hunter local government area to add fresh cases in today's announcement, with all five of Hunter New England's fresh cases within the city.
Hunter New England Health said two were infectious in the community, two are linked to the aged care clusters, and all five are linked.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the numbers, like 25 new cases in western NSW, dictated the need for lockdown in the regions to roll on.
He also flagged additional cases in the Hunter since the 8pm cut-off for today's figures.
"Since the 8pm reporting period overnight we know that we've got more cases in western NSW, southern NSW ... and Hunter New England," he said.
"My message to everybody continues to be to make sure we stay vigilant."
The reasons you may leave your home
- Shopping for food or other essential goods and services.
- Medical care or compassionate needs (people can leave home to have a COVID-19 vaccination unless you have been identified as a close contact).
- Exercise outdoors in groups of two or fewer (unless members of the same household).
- Every employer across NSW must require their employees to work from home unless it is not reasonably practicable.
- You can only move around in your own local government area (LGA) for essential purposes including shopping and exercise. If you must leave your LGA to do either of these, you must not go any further than 5kms from your home into another LGA.
Schooling will be done from home in most cases.
Masks must be worn indoors (not including the home) and in outdoor settings where you cannot socially distance from others. Anyone who leaves their home must carry a mask with them at all times.
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