NSW Covid update: Wollongong on high alert after drive-thru testing rush

There has been a rush on drive-thru Covid testing clinics in Wollongong, as a fifth person in NSW was diagnosed with the Omicron strain. See footage of the queues.

Wollongong is on high alert with hundreds of people flocking to drive-through Covid-19 testing clinics after a positive case visited several popular local venues.

The case, which health authorities say is linked to other known local cases and is not believed to be the Omicron variant, visited several pubs and venues in the area while infectious.

Health authorities are now racing against time to undertake contact tracing and notify close contacts.

It comes after health authorities confirmed eight cases of Covid-19 in the region overnight.

The cases triggered mass testing panic, with lines of cars queuing stretching for kilometres outside the drive-through clinic at Denison Street, Wollongong.

Anyone who visited the following venues is being urged to self-isolate and get tested.

Wollongong Pepe’s on the Beach, 2-14 Cliff Road

Friday 19 November, 5pm to 11.59pm

Saturday 20 November, 12am to 2am and 5pm to 11.59pm

Sunday 21 November, 12am to 2am and 5pm to 11.59pm

Monday, 22 November, 12am to 2am and 5pm to 11.59pm

Wednesday, 24 November, 1pm to 10pm

Thursday, 25 November, 10am to 10pm

Friday 26 November, 4pm to 11.59pm

Saturday, 27 November, 12am to 1pm

Wollongong, The Illawarra Hotel, 160-164 Keira Street

Monday, 22 November, 12am to 1am and 6pm to 11.59pm

Tuesday, 23 November, 6pm to 11pm

Thursday, 25 November, 7pm to 11.59pm

Friday, 26 November, 12am to 2am

Wollongong, The Prince, Globe Lane

Wednesday, 24 November, 9pm to 11pm

Thursday, 25 November, 7pm to 11.59pm

Friday, 26 November, 12am to 1am and 3pm to 11.59pm

Saturday, 27 November, 12am to 2am and 12pm to 11.59pm

Sunday, 28 November, 12am to 2pm

Towradgi Towradgi Beach Hotel & Waves, 170 Pioneer Rd

Friday 26 November, 9am to 7pm

Saturday, 27 November, 11am to 11pm

Sunday, 28 November, 10am to 6pm

NSW GETS FIFTH OMICRON CASE

A returned traveller who flew into the country from southern Africa before testing positive to Covid-19 has been confirmed as being infected with the Omicron variant.

The woman had earlier been suspected as an Omicron case — the number of people with the Omicron variant in NSW is now confirmed as being five.

The woman, in her 30s, arrived in Sydney on Thursday.

Two more people on the same flight have now tested positive for Covid-19 and genomic testing is underway to determine whether they have been infected with the Omicron variant of concern.

However neither of the positive cases had spent time in southern Africa.

Casual contact health alerts have been issued for a raft of locations in Sydney and the Central Coast after they were visited by the traveller before she was directed to go into isolation.

The woman flew in to Sydney from South Africa on November 25 before the new travel restrictions were introduced.

NSW Health revealed the passenger, who is fully vaccinated, came on a flight from Doha to Sydney before travelling to the Central Coast in a private car.

“Everyone on the flight is considered a close contact and will need to get tested immediately for COVID-19 and isolate for 14 days, regardless of their vaccination status,” a spokesman said.

“NSW Health is contacting all passengers and flight crew to advise them of their isolation requirements.”

International travellers returning to Sydney this week. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

The latest case has triggered alerts for 10 venues across the central coast, Parramatta and Top Ryde.

Anyone who has been to the following venues in the relevant times is a casual contact and must get tested and isolate until they get a negative result.

■Coles Top Ryde on November 26 between 9:30am to 10:45am

■Target Parramatta on November 26 between 10:45am to 11:00am

■H & M Parramatta on November 26 between 11:00am to 11:15am

■The Athlete’s Foot Parramatta on November 26 between 11:15am to 11:30am

■JD Sports Parramatta on November 26 between 11:15am to 12:00pm

■Rebel Sports Parramatta on November 26 between 12:00pm to 12:45pm

■IGA, North Wyong on November 26 between 6:15pm to 7:00pm

■Pizza Hut, Wyong on November 26 between 7:00pm – 7:15pm

■KFC North, Wyong on November26 between 7:15pm to 7:30pm

■Woolworths, Wadalba on November 26 between 7.30pm to 8:15pm

■Aldi, Toukley on November 27 between 4:45pm to 5:45pm

Penalties for anyone breaching isolation, testing and quarantine requirements will increase to $5,000 for individuals (up from $1,000). Corporations will face a $10,000 fine for breaching the isolation, testing and quarantine rules (from $5,000)

HUNT SAYS VARIANT IS ‘MANAGEABLE’

Health Minister Greg Hunt has said that there is no cause for alarm over the new Omicron strain of coronavirus, describing it as a “manageable variant,” with Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly adding that so far all cases have been mild or asymptomatic.

However while more intense restrictions do not seem to be on the cards, officials said that Australians should be prepared for the possibility of booster shots next winter.

Providing an update on Tuesday morning on the National Security Committee’s decision to push the pause button for two weeks on further reopenings of international borders, Mr Hunt said, “We are doing this out of an abundance of caution but our overwhelming view is that while it is an emerging variant, it is a manageable variant.”

International students and migrants were to be allowed into the country on December 1 but that has been delayed until December 15.

Mr Hunt was joined by Home Affairs Secretary Karen Andrews who said that the decision to pause reopening “wasn’t taken lightly”.

Professor Kelly said the cases identified in Australia are all fully vaccinated.

“It’s similar to travellers in other countries in the world, almost all of them directly linked with southern Africa – they are young. They’re doubly vaccinated,” he said.

“Several of them have had the infection previously, either known or on serological testing.

“And they have very mild or in fact no disease. That’s what we know so far”, he said.

Professor Kelly also said that vaccine boosters may be a weapon against the new variant as well as other future variants, with Australia able to deliver around 300,000 jabs a day – as occurred in the peak vaccination months of September and October.

“Boosters in winter make a lot of sense. We’re more than six months away from winter,” Professor Kelly said.

“We know that respiratory viruses circulate a lot more in winter.

“It’s likely that that’s when we would want the boosters to be totally actively working.”

Originally published as NSW Covid update: Wollongong on high alert after drive-thru testing rush