Lismore, Tweed, Coffs Harbour detect Covid-19 cases

There are no decisions on a larger lockdown just yet, despite 14 new North Coast cases of Covid-19 spanning from Tweed to Coffs Harbour.

A QML Pathology drive-through Covid-19 testing clinic has been set up at the Cavanbah Centre on Ewingsdale Road, in Byron Bay.

There are no decisions on a larger lockdown just yet, despite a sharp rise in Covid-19 cases across the North Coast on Saturday.

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin said she had spoken to NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard who had said the review panel had met on Saturday but did not recommend a widespread lockdown at this stage.

It comes as NSW Deputy Chief Health Officer Jeremy McNulty announced 14 new Covid-19 cases overnight on the North Coast.

These included six cases in Lismore, one in Kyogle and one in Casino.

Mr McNulty also said a further six cases had been reported since then and would be included in Sunday’s numbers.

These included three in Tweed, one in Kyogle, one in Coffs Harbour and one in Nambucca Valley.

Ms Saffin said she understood the community’s nerves but was reassured that contact tracers and possible contacts were being duly investigated.

“Every time we hear of a single case we worry,” she said.

“Initially we were told if there was one case we’d be locked down but that’s obviously changed.

“I understand people are getting anxious but what I would say is it’s not being ignored.”

She urged the community to remain calm and abide by the “new normal” of social distancing and mask wearing.

Mr McNulty also reported on Saturday that there were positive Covid-19 sewage results in South Grafton from September 30.

“Residents should be particularly vigilant for symptoms,” he said during the press conference.

Northern NSW Local Health District Acting Chief Executive Lynne Weir said the eight cases overnight were all linked to the Kyogle cluster.

Mr Weir said sewage surveillance had also detected fragments of the virus in samples taken from the East and South Lismore sewage treatment plants on September 29.

“There are active cases in the areas served by these treatment plants, and we continue to encourage anyone in the Lismore area with even the mildest of symptoms to get tested,” she said.

Mid North Coast Local Health District Chief Executive Stewart Dowrick said the Coffs Harbour case is a close contact of an earlier case diagnosed in Coffs Harbour.

“This person has been isolating throughout their infectious period,” he said.

Mr Dowrick said the Nambucca Valley case’s infection source is under investigation.

Northern NSW Local Health District released 20 new casual contact locations on Friday night, affecting the Alstonville, Goonellabah, Lismore and Kyogle regions.

They also announced two new testing facilities in Kyogle and Casino, who are both under lockdown orders.

The current Kyogle drive-through clinic will close and be replaced with a new walk-in clinic at the Kyogle Multi-Purpose Service (Kyogle Hospital), 199 Summerland Way.

Casino 4cyte drive-through will also be open 7am – 2pm Saturday and Sunday at Queen Elizabeth Park.

This clinic will be open 9am to 3pm over the long weekend with no appointments needed.