13 NSW suburbs to ramp up coronavirus testing
13 suburbs across NSW will test everyone with symptoms after authorities identified the areas as being at high risk of COVID-19 community transmission with rising cases of unknown origins. SEE IF YOUR SUBURB MADE THE LIST.
NSW
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NSW Health is set to ramp up coronavirus testing in 13 suburbs across the state in a bid to prevent an outbreak of the disease across suburban and regional areas.
Waverley, Woollahra, Dee Why, Manly, Ryde, Macquarie Park, Broken Hill, Lake Macquarie, Manning, Nowra and South Nowra, Byron and Port Macquarie are all in line to have increased testing.
“In line with national COVID-19 control guidelines, NSW Health has increased testing in areas which may be at elevated risk of community transmission,” a NSW Health spokesman said.
“We are encouraging people in these areas who have symptoms including fever and/or flu-like symptoms such as cough, sore throat or shortness of breath to be tested.”
These areas have high numbers of community transmission where the origin is not known, meaning locally acquired cases haven’t been able to be traced back to where the person got the virus.
These cases are the most concerning for NSW Health, as it means there are potentially people in the community with the virus who are unaware they have it, and have passed it on to others.
“In those areas we have seen a case or cases of local transmission where we haven’t been able to find the source,” Chief Medical Officer Dr Kerry Chant said.
TOTAL CASES IN THE AT-RISK AREAS
Waverley LGA: 167
Ryde LGA including Macquarie Park: 67
Woollahra LGA: 86
Byron LGA: 14
Northern Beaches LGA including Manly and Dee Why: 144
Lake Macquarie LGA: 44
Shoalhaven LGA including Nowra and South Nowra: 29
Port Macquarie LGA: 29
Broken Hill LGA: less than 4
Mid Coast LGA including Manning: 37
CASES LOCALLY ACQUIRED WITH UNKNOWN SOURCE:
Waverley LGA: 34
Ryde LGA including Macquarie Park: 12
Woollahra LGA: 8
Byron LGA: unknown
Northern Beaches LGA including Manly and Dee Why: 21
Lake Macquarie LGA: 104
Shoalhaven LGA including Nowra and South Nowra: 1-4
Port Macquarie LGA: 5
Broken Hill LGA: 1-4
Mid Coast LGA including Manning: 1-4
NSW now has 2,686 confirmed cases, with 406 of those locally acquired with an unknown source.
Waverly LGA has been a particular area of concern for the NSW government, as backpackers in Bondi created one of the more concerning outbreaks of coronavirus in the state.
The Boogie Wonderland party on March 17th created a cluster of 34 cases, significantly broadening the local transmission in Sydney. Another cluster broke out from the Hardware Restaurant, leading to 13 cases.
A pop up testing centre at Bondi Beach was set up last week in a bid to broaden the access to testing and detect the community transmission, which Chief Medical Officer Doctor Kerry Chant said was a “success”.
Ryde has also become a coronavirus hot spot, having two significant outbreaks.
The Dorothy Henderson Lodge, which detected its first case in late February, has become the most deadly NSW cluster, leading to six deaths. There are currently 22 cases from the aged care home.
Another cluster broke out from a church service at the Ryde Civic Centre on March 8, which has now accounted for 19 cases.
Today Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged people to stay home during the Easter break.
“It only takes a hand full of people to do the wrong thing and it can spread the virus through to the community through sources we can’t identify,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“When its acquired through the community and you might not even have the symptoms … you could be giving the virus to people in your life,” she said.
It comes as NSW recorded three new deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the state toll to 21.
A 90-year-old man from the Opal Care Bankstown aged care facility died in Liverpool Hospital. His was the second death of a resident from that facility.
A 90-year-old man from Dorothy Henderson Lodge in Macquarie Park also died, becoming the sixth resident from that facility to succumb to the virus.
An 87-year-old woman who was a passenger on the Ruby Princess also died, bringing the deaths associated with the cruise ship in NSW to five.