Coffs Harbour Covid scare: police release details of investigation

Police have been investigating after a Covid positive person visited Coffs Harbour late last week.

The Coffs Harbour community has been on high alert after it was revealed a Covid-positive person visited the city.

Residents who visited the Hoey Moey late last week began getting texts from NSW Health on Sunday evening, alerting them they may be a close contact of a Covid case.

Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh posted a list of exposure sites on his Facebook page on Monday morning. They included Woolworths and Big W at Park Beach Plaza and the Hoey Moey.

That sent shockwaves through the community but there has also been some confusion with NSW Health not listing Woolworths and Big W at Park Beach Plaza as exposure sites.

On Tuesday morning a NSW Police spokesperson confirmed that officers from the Coffs/Clarence Police District were conducting inquiries into potential breaches of the Public Health Order.

Cars lined up around the block from the drive through testing clinic operating out of the old Bellorana Hostel site in Bellingen. Photo by Janine Watson

On Tuesday afternoon the spokesperson updated the Advocate saying:

“Following extensive inquiries, no breaches of the Public Health Order have been identified.”

Late last month NSW Police Minister David Elliott warned that the community must “relearn” what the public health orders require from them.

“It’s clear that the community is going to need to relearn what these public health orders do and what they require from the community,” he said.

“It really is the nuts and bolts stuff that people really should be aware of given we went through this situation last year”.

Find current information on the Public Health Order.

The surge in demand for testing in Coffs Harbour has prompted the Mid North Coast Local Health District to establish a drive through testing clinic at C.ex Stadium on Stadium Drive, Coffs Harbour from 12pm to 8pm on Tuesday and 8am to 8pm in the days following.

Breaches across the State

On Tuesday afternoon NSW Police was reminding the community of the continuing state-wide operation to enforce all public health orders, after a number of concerning breaches in the past 24 hours.

Officers across Sydney are focusing on compliance in every PAC and PD across the state, with 160 PINs issued in the past 24 hours. 55 of those were issued to individuals for not wearing a mask.

$7000 worth of fines were also issued to seven people after they were discovered having a birthday party at an office on George St, Sydney.

Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon, Metropolitan Field Operations, said police would continue to focus on enforcing all public health orders in every PAC and PD across the state.

“Not only are we continuing our high-visibility compliance operations, but we’re following up every single report to Crime Stoppers too,” Deputy Commissioner Lanyon said.

“Police are investigators and as some of the recent breaches show, if you are a repeat offender or we receive information retrospectively, we will go back and fully investigate every piece of information we receive to ensure community safety.

“Never has compliance with these Health Orders been more vital to the safety of our community, so I would urge everyone to stick to the Health Order and work together to stop the spread.”

PINs issued in the last 24 hours include:

- A total of $7000 worth of fines were issued to seven people after they were discovered having a party inside an office suite on George Street, Sydney late on Monday night.

Officers from Sydney City PAC who were performing COVID compliance duties noticed a man outside a building on George Street. Officers approached the man and upon questioning led police to an office suite where a birthday party was taking place.

The seven party goers were issued $1000 PINs for breaching the current Public Health Orders.

- A 21-year-old Merrylands man was issued with a PIN for travelling outside the 10km radius without a reasonable excuse.

About 11.40am on Monday the man attended Bondi Police Station to speak with officers about a Traffic Infringement Notice he was issued the day before. Officers explained that was not a reasonable excuse for him to leave his area and directed him to immediately return to his home in Merrylands.

A short time later he was seen standing on Gould Street, Bondi making no attempt to leave the area. Police approached and asked him again to leave. Soon after he was found exercising at the North Bondi outdoor gym area. He was then issued a PIN.