Hunter New England Local Health District is renewing its calls for the Greater Newcastle community to get tested if they have even the mildest symptoms of COVID-19 after fragments of the COVID-19 virus were detected in recent samples from the Burwood, Belmont and Shortland sewage treatment plants.
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Fragments were also detected in the Bonny Hills and Coffs Harbour sewage treatment plants. both of which are in the Mid North Coast Health District.
The samples were collected as part NSW Health's ongoing surveillance program to test sewage for traces of COVID-19 to support the public health response to the pandemic.
At present, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 anywhere in the HNELHD.
The Burwood Beach sewage catchment serves 225,834 people and includes the Newcastle City area and surrounding suburbs of Dudley, Charlestown, Jesmond, Lambton, New Lambton, Mayfield, Elermore Vale, Kotara, Garden Suburb, Adamstown Heights, Kahibah, Highfields, Merewether, Waratah West, Georgetown and Carrington.
The Belmont sewage catchment serves 115,000 people and includes Belmont, Warners Bay, Gateshead, Tingira Heights, Bennetts Green, Jewells, Redhead, Eleebana, Croudace Bay, Valentine, Marks Point, Blacksmiths, Pelican, Swansea, Swansea Heads, and Caves Beach.
The Shortland sewage catchment serves 60,000 people and includes Shortland, Cameron Park, Minmi, Fletcher, Maryland, Birmingham Gardens, Wallsend, Callaghan (University of Newcastle), Sandgate, Kooragang, Mayfield West, Fern Bay, Fullerton Cove and Stockton.
Dr David Durrheim, Hunter New England Health's public health controller for the COVID-19 response, said testing sewage can help provide early warning of undetected infections in an area. In this instance, where there are no known cases of COVID-19 this is of particular concern.
"Unfortunately, there's still a possibility that a COVID-19 case is unidentified in the community," Dr Durrheim said.
"Anyone feeling unwell - even with the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat - must seek testing and self-isolate until they get their result. Stay at home, and do not go to work, the shops, or catch public transport until you receive a negative test result.
"We would like to thank those who have presented for COVID-19 testing in light of the recent developments in NSW. It's a big help in ensuring we stay on top of the virus.
"As we have done throughout the pandemic, we continue to monitor the number of people presenting to our testing clinics and scale our operating hours based on demand. We ask that people be patient when waiting for a test or swab results."
Detection of virus fragments in sewage can also be due to shedding of the virus by someone who may have previously had the illness and may no longer be infectious. It can also be the result of a person with COVID-19 who may have visited the community and has since left the area.
As well as being present in stools, viral fragments can enter the sewer when washed off hands and bodies through sinks and showers.
Usual sewage treatment processes inactivate, or kill, the COVID-19 virus.
There are more than 410 testing clinics open across NSW. For a complete list of COVID-19 testing clinics and booking details, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/clinics.aspx.
Further testing will be undertaken as the NSW Health research program continues. For more information on the NSW Health research program, please visit www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Pages/sewage-surveillance.aspx.
There are more than 100 NSW vaccination clinics and outreach locations across the state.
Clinics can be found through the Commonwealth government's eligibility checker at www.health.gov.au.
