Dubbo Covid cases climb: Western NSW news and updates
The total number of Covid cases in the Western NSW Local Health District has reached 63, with another 21 cases confirmed in Dubbo overnight.
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Another 21 people tested positive for Covid-19 in Dubbo overnight, the Western NSW Local Health District chief executive Scott McLachlan has confirmed.
The total number of cases in western NSW now stands at 63, with 59 cases in Dubbo and four in Walgett.
“We know that the vast majority of these confirmed cases have been infectious in the community,” Mr McLachan said.
He confirmed the “vast majority” of people diagnosed with Covid in recent days had identified as Aboriginal members of the community and many were young children including one who had to be hospitalised.
A further two people in Mudgee have now tested positive for Covid-19 and they will be included in tomorrow’s case numbers.
In a Sunday update posted to Facebook, Mr McLachlan said more than 7500 tests were done across the region on Saturday, with 4600 carried out in Dubbo.
Dubbo MP Duglad Saudners said social media rumours of a positive case in Wellington were false, however he said cases confirmed in small towns or villages would be identified only in terms of the local government area they reside in.
Mr Saunders revealed a further four students and two staff members from Dubbo College South Campus had tested positive.
All staff and students have been asked to get tested and isolate for 14 days. The school will be closed until August 26.
On Sunday the NSW Department of Education advised a student at Dubbo College Delroy Campus had tested positive and the school would be shut on Monday while contact tracing and cleaning took place. All staff and students from that school have been asked to self-isolate until they receive further advice.
Buninyong Public School, the Dubbo School of Distance Education and Orana Heights Public School remain closed after positive cases attended the schools.
Dubbo West Public School and Macquarie Anglican Grammar School will reopen tomorrow.
Details of more exposure sites were released by NSW Health late on Saturday night. New venues of concern include the Saint Laurence O’Toole Church, Blend Sixty-Six Cafe, Relish Cafe, Priceline Pharmacy and Storm Riders store in Dubbo.
New casual contact venues of concern include Spotlight, Big W at Orana Mall, Kmart and Millers.
Police have issued 20 infringement notices in the past 24 for alleged breaches of the public health order in Dubbo.
UPDATE 1:30pm August 14
Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders and Western NSW Local Health District chief executive officer Scott McLachlan say that up to 9am Saturday there have been 17 new cases of Covid-19 identified in the western NSW LHD.
Sixteen of the new cases are in Dubbo and one is in Walgett.
Mr McLachlan said there were now 42 cases in the LHD.
“We don’t have anyone in hospital with Covid-19,” he said after two people previously hospitalised were discharged.
The confirmed cases have hundreds of close contacts, Mr McLachlan said.
More than 9000 tests were carried out across western NSW on Friday, including 5000 in Dubbo.
Mr Saunders said after Dubbo West Public School was previously closed due to a member of the school community testing positive, it would reopen on Monday for a small number of students unable to learn from home.
Macquarie Anglican Grammar School will also reopen on Monday for a small number of students and staff after it was closed.
UPDATE 11.30am August 14
According to NSW Health and Premier Gladys Beriklian, the Western NSW Local Health District recorded 26 new cases of Covid-19 overnight, bringing the total since the outbreak of the Delta strain to 51.
It comes as NSW recorded a record 466 new cases on what the Premier described as “the most concerning day of the pandemic”.
The worsening case numbers have prompted the NSW Government to increase fines for Covid rule breakers and tighten a raft of lockdown rules.
As part of the changes people will require a permit to enter regional NSW.
Details about more venues of concern in Dubbo and western NSW were released by NSW Health late on Friday night, with people urged to check the official website for full details and the latest advice.
More to come.
UPDATE 8:30pm August 13
Another two schools in Dubbo have been impacted by the growing western NSW Covid outbreak.
On Friday night a NSW Department of Education spokeswoman said a further two students in the city had tested positive for Covid-19, however they later clarified one person was not a student but a “member of the school community”.
A student at Buninyong Public School has tested positive for Covid-19.
A “member of the school community” at the neighbouring Dubbo School of Distance Education also tested positive.
All staff and students at both schools have been asked to self-isolate immediately until they receive further advice.
Thousands of staff and students at schools across Dubbo have now been asked to isolate this week.
Schools already impacted have been Macquarie Anglican Grammar School, Dubbo West Public School, Orana Heights and Dubbo College South Campus.
UPDATE 2pm, August 13
A total of 19 new Covid cases have been reported overnight in western NSW, bringing the district’s total number of cases to 25.
Western NSW Local Health District chief executive Scott McLachlan said 17 of the new cases were in Dubbo and two were in the remote community of Walgett.
“This is a significant increase in our region,” he said.
“The vast majority of new cases were infectious in the community.
“The large proportion of the new cases, and our total cases, are Aboriginal people … many of those are children. We do have two people in hospital at the moment, including one in intensive care as a precautionary step to make sure that person is well supported.”
Dubbo mayor Stephen Lawrence said “significant community transmission” was occurring in West Dubbo and he urged Aboriginal residents to encourage others to stay at home and avoid mixing with family and friends outside their households.
“There are particular issues at play here, we know that our Aboriginal community is more likely to live in bigger households, we know that our Aboriginal community is by and large part of big extended families,” he said.
“It’s so important to stay at home at the moment … get tested if you have any symptoms or concerned.”
Mr McLachlan said more than 6500 people were tested across the district on Thursday, however worryingly new sewage tests showed fragments of the virus that causes Covid-19 had been detected in Bathurst, Parkes, Bourke and Dubbo.
A delivery of 5000 Pfizer vaccines arrived in Dubbo on Thursday and Mr McLachlan said 2000 of those jabs were sent to Walgett with the Royal Flying Doctor Service, however he revealed “less than half of our appointments today are filled in Walgett”.
Another 7000 doses of Pfizer have been earmarked for western NSW, Mr McLachlan said.
On the compliance front, Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders said he was disappointed police had reported cases of people continuing to attempt to travel between local government areas despite the lockdown.
“There have been people actively doing the wrong thing and travelling between the Dubbo local government area and others including Gilgandra and Narromine that I’m aware of, looking at getting testing and other things,” he said.
“Police are very actively in looking at what people are doing and their movements.
“Stay where you are. The virus spreads through people and people interacting with other people is the way this virus will continue to spread across not just Dubbo, not just Walgett, but in fact across the entire region.”
Orana Mid-Western Police District Commander Superintendent Danny Sullivan said 12 people had been issued infringement notices for noncompliance with public health orders.
“I can also let people know that we’ve had over 140 business inspections of our local business and public places … and more than 400 cars have been stopped in relation to compliance with the public health order,” he said.
“There are people not wearing masks, there are certainly people not complying with the Covid check-in … more importantly it’s people trying to leave their local government area.”
UPDATE 10am, August 13
All non-urgent elective surgery at Dubbo Base Hospital will be postponed from Monday August 16 as the city struggles to contain a Covid outbreak.
NSW Health made the announcement on Friday morning as it prepares for a potential surge in the number of Covid patients needing hospital treatment.
“Those waiting for non-urgent elective surgery who are impacted by the changes will be contacted and encouraged to reach out to their referring doctor should their condition in any way deteriorate, so they can be reviewed and re-prioritised to a more urgent category if required,” a spokeswoman said.
“This measure was previously implemented in March 2020 following a decision by national cabinet, and will ensure the resources and capacity required for the COVID-19 response are maintained during the current outbreak.
“As part of its comprehensive planning for its pandemic response, NSW Health has the capacity to quadruple its current ICU capacity if required. There would also be ventilators available for each of these ICU beds.”
UPDATE 9am, August 13
A popular gym, hardware store and bottle shop are among a growing list of venues of concern where Covid transmissions may have taken place in Dubbo.
On Friday morning NSW Health released an updated list of exposure sites which also includes a sporting club in the remote indigenous community of Walgett.
Anyone who attended the following venues during the times listed below has been advised to immediately get tested and isolate until they hear from NSW Health.
- McDonald’s West Dubbo Friday 6 August 3:35pm to 3:55pm
- Bunnings Dubbo Monday 9 August 8:12am to 8:20am
- Dan Murphy’s Monday 9 August 2pm to 2:20pm
- Myall St Mini Mart Monday 9 August 3:35pm to 3:45pm
- Fitness Focus Dubbo Monday 9 August 3:53pm to 5:05pm
- Uniting Service Station 195 Cobra St Monday 9 August 4:25pm to 4:28pm
- Walgett Sporting Club Tuesday 10 August 7.39pm to 7.50pm
On Wednesday, Ashcrofts IGA, the Covid Safe clinic, Don Crosby veterinary surgery, The Harvest Cafe and Tim Koertz Pharmacy were listed as potential exposure sites.
Dubbo College South Campus, Macquarie Anglican Grammar School, Orana Heights Public School and Dubbo West Public School have also been identified as venues of concern which were either attended by a person with Covid-19 attended or one of their close contacts.
Officially, the Covid case count in western NSW stood at six on Thursday, however at least one additional case was confirmed late Thursday night after the NSW Department of Education revealed a student at Dubbo College South Campus tested positive.
Health authorities have warned case numbers are likely to grow as more test results come back and contact tracers investigate chains of transmission.
An update on case numbers will be provided in a NSW Government media conference at 11am.
Dubbo Mayor Stephen Lawrence, Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders and Orana Mid-Western Police District Commander Superintendent Danny Sullivan are due to speak at 12pm.
More to come.
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