Second Kempsey case; virus in Port Macquarie sewage as NSW toughens COVID response

NSW Health made the announcement this morning as strict new rules are rolled out across the State.

One positive case in Kempsey, a 14-year-old girl who contracted the virus in Newcastle before returning home, remains in isolation with her family.

A close contact of that case has now also tested positive.

Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) said there are no sites of concern yet connected to the positive COVID case in Kempsey. But investigations are ongoing and the public "will be notified if there is a public health reason to disclose venue information".

"The case is a close contact of the confirmed case reported earlier this week and is isolating at home," MNCLHD chief executive Stewart Dowrick said.

"A small number of close contacts have been identified, tested and are also in isolation.

"Public health investigations are ongoing and advice will be provided as it becomes available."

Mr Dowrick urges anyone feeling unwell - even with the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose, scratchy or sore throat, cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache, tiredness, loss of taste or smell, nausea, diarrhoea or muscle aches - to come forward for testing.

A young woman who tested positive to COVID, after contracting it in Newcastle, also remains in isolation in Forster.

Virus fragments have also been detected in Forster's wastewater.

There is a drive-through testing clinic at Port Macquarie's regional stadium and at Kempsey's Riverside Park Reserve.

Mid North Coast COVID-19 testing clinics are listed on the NSW government website www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/health-and-wellbeing/clinics

In the Hunter-New England there were three more cases, with two of those in Newcastle and one in Maitland.

On the Central Coast there were three more cases.

All of regional NSW will remain in lockdown and under stay-at-home orders until August 28 when the situation will be reviewed based on case numbers and viral spread.

Masks must now be worn at all times when outdoors right across NSW.

Anyone who must travel to regional NSW for work cannot enter without a valid permit from August 21.

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All of Greater Sydney will remain in tough lockdown until the end of September, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.

A raft of new measures in Sydney include a 9pm-5am curfew; only one hour of exercise per day in identified LGAs; and closure of some further retail business (like hardware, garden centres and office supplies) unless click and collect is available.

"Now it's time to bunker down and take this as seriously as we can," the Premier said. "This is it."

About 132,000 tests were taken in the community yesterday.

About 5.6 million jabs have been given in NSW, 54 per cent of people are fully vaccinated.

"These are great milestones that we are hitting and we cannot say enough how important it is the people to come forward and get vaccinated," the Premier said.

The State's chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant confirmed there were 642 cases overnight with 127,500 tests conducted. Four more people died.

"I call on the people of NSW to work together. We can get on top of this. We can reduce the number of people who are seriously ill and will die. But it is going to be hard. We have got two very effective vaccines but we also need these additional measures," Dr Chant said.

There were 800 infringements issued by NSW Police overnight, with 50 charged with breaching Public Health Orders.

There have been strong warnings to anyone planning protests anywhere in the state this weekend.

The Mid North Coast Local Health District is vaccinating its staff and eligible members of the community when appointments become available.

The local health district has moved its COVID-19 vaccination clinic from Port Macquarie Base Hospital to 35 Grant Street.

Go to the online COVID-19 vaccine eligibility checker to find out when and where you can receive a COVID-19 vaccine.

You can also speak with your local participating pharmacist or GP about the vaccine that is right for you.

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