Kempsey highway service centre a venue of concern; no new COVID cases

Mid North Coast Local Health District has been notified of a new venue of concern associated with a confirmed case of COVID-19 who transitted through the region.

Anyone who attended the following venue at the times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received. Please continue to monitor for symptoms and immediately isolate and get tested if they develop:

All close contacts have been contacted and informed as part of normal contract tracing processes. They must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result.

Anyone else who has been at the venues at the date and time listed is considered a casual contact.

There are two COVID cases in South Kempsey. Both remain in isolation and under the care of NSW Health.

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NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said NSW had already hit six million COVID vaccinations.

That equals about 60 per cent of the population across the State having received one dose, she said.

Ms Berejiklian said she would announce on "Thursday or Friday" what extra freedom fully vaccinated NSW residents would be given from September as a result.

"In terms of the regions, many areas are settling down and stabilising, but western NSW remains our concern."

Of today's statistics, 134 are linked to a known case or cluster, 108 are household contacts and 26 are close contacts. Investigations continue in more than 600 cases.

The 24 hours to 8pm Monday was fatality-free but 608 people with COVID-19 have been hospitalised, 107 people of them in intensive care and 34 on ventilators.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro said western NSW remains a great concern with 36 cases overnight, 23 of those in Dubbo.

In the far west, there were another 14 cases in Wilcannia.

There was one case in Newcastle and three on the Central Coast.

Mr Barilaro said vaccination must be front of mind for regional communities. He praised Walcha as a community that has already reached a 49.2 per cent double-dose vaccination rate.

He said mass vaccination days in communities like those in Armidale, Inverell and Moree will roll out across the State.

Victoria recorded 50 cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to midnight yesterday, of which only 11 were in isolation throughout their infectious period.

THE Mid North Coast's COVID case numbers remain at just two, with both cases remaining in isolation in South Kempsey with their families.

Mid North Coast Local Health District said investigations are ongoing.

There are now five venues of concern on the Mid North Coast. Three are linked to the two local cases, while two are linked to a COVID positive person who transited through the area.

Anyone who attended Bunnings or Little Shack in Port Macquarie; Coles in Belgrave St, Kempsey; the BP Nambucca Heads; or the Puma service centre at Kempsey at the dates and times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.

All close contacts have been contacted and informed as part of normal contract tracing processes.

They must get tested and isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result.

Anyone else who has been at the venues at the date and times listed is considered a casual contact, must get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.

Ongoing surveillance across all Mid North Coast wastewater treatment sites for virus fragments continues.

Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) has advised that the drive through COVID-19 testing clinic at Port Macquarie Regional Stadium on Boundary Street is now open extended hours from 8am to 6pm daily.

There is also a drive through testing site at Kempsey's Riverside Park reserve at the Austral Street boat ramp open to 8am-6pm weekdays and 8am-4pm on weekends.

MNCLHD urges anyone feeling unwell with even with the mildest of symptoms to come forward for testing.

To find a testing clinic near you, visit the NSW Government website www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/health-and-wellbeing/clinics

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