Everything we know so far about BP Ballina Covid-19 venue of concern

Residents “should be alert all the time” after a popular Ballina service station was visited by a positive Covid-19 truck driver, prompting calla for better testing from the trucking industry.

North Coast health experts have warned residents to be vigilant about Covid-19 symptoms after they confirmed a Ballina service station had been visited by a positive Covid-19 truck driver.

On Sunday night, Northern NSW Local Health District notified the public that a confirmed case of Covid-19 visited the BP Travel Centre at West Ballina on 20 August 2021 between the hours of 8-8.30am.

Acting chief executive of the health district Lynne Weir told media during a Monday press event the positive case was a truck driver travelling through the region.

“That person is no longer in our district so we’re very fortunate there’s no new cases of Covid-19,” she said.

She could not provide further information into the driver’s whereabouts after or before the Ballina spot.

Ms Weir said those who visited the service station during those hours would be considered casual contacts and were continuing to be notified via contact tracers.

She still said residents “should be alert all the time” and that residents will have to “wait and see” if this venue of concern listing affects the region’s chances of coming out of lockdown.

“Every time there’s a sewage fragment found people do come out and get tested but then it wanes off a little bit,” she said.

“So over the last few days the testing numbers have started to drop so again I encourage people to go out and get tested.”

It comes as worried residents lined outside of River St’s 4Cyte Pathology Ballina drive-through clinic on Monday morning waiting for gates to open to get tested.

TWU NSW/QLD State Secretary Richard Olsen said the case showed it was vital for there to be better testing services for the trucking industry.

The Ballina service station is one of the newest asymptomatic testing services sites in NSW.

“The testing centre at Ballina opening this week is only the second testing site suitable for heavy vehicles on the entire Pacific Highway – that’s nowhere near good enough,” he said.

“The TWU has been calling on the NSW Government to provide more heavy-vehicle Covid testing sites for several weeks, so that drivers can more easily meet their testing requirements.

“The TWU would also like to see rapid antigen testing rolled out in workplaces, as an added safety measure for all transport workers.

“Truck drivers keep our country moving during lockdowns, and the NSW Government needs to do more to support them.”

A freight testing site set up at BP Ballina. Credit: Tessa Flemming

Transport NSW opened additional freight friendly testing sites at Yass and at the Ballina BP Travel Centre from Monday, August 23.

The assisted testing by on-site pathology staff will be manned 24 hours, seven days.

Ms Weir said it was a Transport NSW whether that location would be changed or the region should see increased rapid testing sites.

“I think that’s a matter again for the government to take up whether they increase that surveillance testing,” she said.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro told regional journalists on Monday that procedures are in place to avoid truck drivers spreading the virus across the state.

“If they are coming from Sydney, they have to have testing every seven days, plus a permit now,” he said.

“A lot of them are doing rapid antigen testing themselves now, which helps”.

The travel centre was closed for deep cleaning overnight. Credit: Tessa Flemming

A BP spokesman confirmed the centre, which contains the BP, a McDonalds, Wild Bean Cafe and KFC, was shut down on Sunday for deep cleaning but had been reopened by Monday morning.

Anyone who attended the BP Travel Centre at 41 Bruxner Hwy during the notified time on Friday, August 20, was a casual contact and must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.