Hunter New England Population Health public health physician, Dr David Durrheim is continuing to urge the community to get vaccinated and to seek testing if experiencing any symptoms, with 44 new cases diagnosed to 8pm last night, Sunday November 14 across ten LGAs.
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Dr Durrheim said the new cases bring the total number of cases in the District to 3,895 since August, 5 2021.
Of the new cases:
- Eighteen are from Mid Coast LGA, seven are from Newcastle LGA, six are from Lake Macquarie LGA, five are from Tamworth LGA, two are from Inverell LGA, two are from Port Stephens LGA, one is from Cessnock LGA, one is from Dungog LGA, one is from Liverpool Plains LGA, and one is from Moree Plains LGA.
- Thirteen were in isolation for their entire infectious period, 23 were infectious in the community, and eight are still under investigation.
- Twenty-eight cases are linked to known exposures or clusters, eight are unlinked, and the source of eight cases is under investigation.
Dr Durrheim said anyone who is currently isolating in the community with COVID-19 to call for an ambulance should they experience a deterioration in their condition, including breathlessness and dizziness.
Testing is strongly encouraged across Lower Mid North Coast following rise in case numbers, Dr Durrheim said.
In Taree, testing is available at:
- Taree Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology Walk-In Clinic, 8:00am - 4:00pm Monday to Friday
- Taree Respiratory Clinic, 8:00am - 4:00pm daily
- Taree Showground Histopath Pathology Drive-through Clinic, 8:00am - 4:00pm daily
Dr Durrheim is continuing to advise those with symptoms in the New England North West to come forward for testing, with steady new COVID-19 cases in the area.
Exposure venues
Please note, in the context of high vaccination rates in the community, from today (Monday, November 15), NSW Health will no longer routinely list case locations for regional and rural NSW on its website. This change does not affect NSW Health's contact tracing work, Dr Durrheim said.
NSW Health will continue to contact people diagnosed with COVID-19 and their close contacts, and all people who need to follow specific health advice. If you receive a message from NSW Health, it is important that you follow the advice in that message, Dr Durrheim said.
People who have been to a venue around the same time as a person with COVID-19 will continue to receive a case location alert from Service NSW.
NSW Health will also continue to support workplaces and other locations with a potential COVID-19 outbreak.
This minor change was already made several weeks ago for case locations in Greater Sydney, including the Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour, and the Nepean Blue Mountains.
NSW Health will continue to notify the public of venues of concern where there has been high levels of transmission and there is a need to alert members of the community who may have been there during the exposure period.
Close contacts must immediately self-isolate and get a COVID-19 test. NSW Health alerts close contacts of all confirmed cases and directs them to be tested and self-isolate for the required period for vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
Unless you're contacted by NSW Health, you'll only need to monitor for symptoms and get tested if you develop symptoms.
All testing sites can be located via www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/health-and-wellbeing/clinics.
Anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough or shortness of breath, is urged to immediately get tested. Even people with mild symptoms, such as fatigue, new muscle aches or pains, headache, a change in taste or smell or a new runny nose, should arrange testing as quickly as possible.
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