Hunter records four new Covid-19 cases, John Hunter Hospital added to exposure sites
Four new cases of Covid have been identified, as authorities put out an alert for John Hunter Hospital’s Emergency Department after two confirmed cases visited overnight from August 5 and 6.
Newcastle
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NSW Health has issued an alert for people who visited John Hunter Hospital after two confirmed cases of Covid-19 visited the Emergency Department.
And exposure sites issued at 5pm by Hunter New England Health have been revealed as a train service, hotel and service station.
It comes as four new cases have been confirmed overnight for the Newcastle region, with another two in Armidale, taking the total in the Hunter New England Health District to 13.
NSW Director of Health Protection Dr Jeremy McAnulty told reporters anyone who attended the Emergency Department between 8.40pm on August 5 and 1.50am on August 6 was a close contact.
“There were two confirmed Covid cases who attended the John Hunter Emergency Department,” he said.
Anyone who was at the Emergency Department at those times is considered a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days regardless of symptoms or negative test result.
Dr McAnulty said the cases were all “young people”.
“We are concerned about cases in Newcastle,” he said.
“Four new cases have been confirmed in young people in Newcastle, and two new cases in Armidale a woman who recently travelled to Newcastle, and a one of her household contacts.”
NSW Health has advised that two students staying in our on-campus accommodation at Callaghan have tested positive to COVID-19. NSW Health have transferred these students into their care, and we wish them all the best as they focus on their recovery.
— University of Newcastle (@Uni_Newcastle) August 6, 2021
More: https://t.co/yePpXT3EXBpic.twitter.com/1DWShnvmlp
At 5pm, alerts were issued for anyone who attended a number of venues who are now considered close contacts and must get tested and isolate for 14 days, and await further advice from NSW Health:
They are:
- XPT service, Broadmeadow-Werris Creek – Armidale train line on Thursday, July 29, which left Broadmeadow at 11.40am and arrived in Armidale at 5.30pm on the same day, and;
- Shortland Hotel and Bottlemart Shortland on Thursday, July 29 between 9am and 12am.
Anyone who attended Ampol Service Station, Toronto on Monday, August 2 between 9.12am and 9.14am is a casual contact and must get tested and isolate until a negative test result is received, unless they have been contacted by NSW Health and identified as close contacts.
Earlier the University of Newcastle indicated two of these cases came from students who lived in on-campus accommodation at Callghan.
In a statement, it said: “NSW Health has advised the University of Newcastle that two students staying in our on-campus accommodation at Callaghan Campus have tested positive to Covid-19.
“NSW Health have transferred these students into their care, and we wish them all the very best as they now focus on their recovery.
“Several close contacts of these students have been identified by NSW Health, and these students have been contacted, tested, and moved into self-isolation tonight. NSW Health and the University is staying in close contact with these students to help monitor their health and support their wellbeing during their period of isolation.”
Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced the highest number of cases since the Delta outbreak, with 319 transmissions overnight.
said the cases meant the Armidale Local Government would be placed into a seven-day lockdown from 5pm on Saturday.
Three other exposure sites were identified by Hunter New England Health late on Friday night.
Anyone who visited Kmart at Westfield Kotara on Wednesday, July 28 between 3.40pm and 3.50pm, or JD Sports also at Westfield Kotara on the same date between 3.30pm and 3.40pm, is considered a casual contact and must isolate until they receive a negative test result.
Anyone who visited the Corset Bar and Supper Club at Hamilton on Wednesday, July 28 between 7.30pm and 10pm is considered a close contact and must seek testing and isolate for 14 days.
ON FRIDAY
Two new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the Hunter, bringing the region’s total to seven on the first full day of its snap, seven-day lockdown.
The new cases were confirmed as Hunter exposure sites were added to the NSW Health website for the first time about noon on Friday.
The website lists venues of concern and maps case locations within the state, but Hunter venues had not been listed more than 24 hours after they were identified.
Businesses were on Thursday forced to make their own announcements via their social media channels after being notified of the exposure risk by health officials.
“Charlestown Square has been notified by NSW Health that there have been four Covid-19 exposure sites identified,” management for one of the region’s largest shopping centres posted on Thursday night.
“I am so, so sad to advise that we have had a call from Hunter New England Health to advise that we have had two cases attend our centre,” the owner of Jump N Swim Academy posted a short time later.
NSW Health has been contacted for comment.
MORE Covid NEWS:
- How a beach party sent 600,000 people into lockdown
- Pfizer jabs sent to Sydney to return to coast and Hunter
- Covid reaches the Hunter as infected cases visit schools
- Hunter businesses react to Covid lockdown
FRIDAY’S ROLLING COVERAGE
As the Covid-19 outbreak unfolds in the Hunter, The Newcastle News will have rolling coverage.
CURRENT EXPOSURE SITES:
XPT service, Broadmeadow-Werris Creek
Anyone who was on the Thursday, July 29 train departing Broadmeadow at 11.40am and arriving Armidale 5.30pm is considered a close contact and must seek testing and isolate for 14 days.
Shortland Hotel and Bottlemart Shortland
Anyone who was at the service station on Thursday, July 29 between 9pm and 12am is considered a close contact and must seek testing and isolate for 14 days.
Ampol Service Station Toronto
Anyone who was at the service station on Monday, August 2 9.12am – 9.14am is considered a casual contact and must isolate until they receive a negative test result.
John Hunter Hospital
Anyone who attended the Emergency Department between 8.40pm on August 5 and 1.50am on August is considered a close contact and must seek testing and isolate for 14 days.
Westfield Kotara
Anyone who visited Kmart at Westfield Kotara on Wednesday, July 28 between 3.40pm and 3.50pm, or JD Sports also at Westfield Kotara on the same date between 3.30pm and 3.40pm, is considered a casual contact and must isolate until they receive a negative test result.
Corset Bar and Supper Club Hamilton
Anyone who visited the Corset Bar and Supper Club at Hamilton on Wednesday, July 28 between 7.30pm and 10pm is considered a close contact and must seek testing and isolate for 14 days.
Priceline Jesmond
Those who were there between 4pm and 4.20pm on Monday, August 2 have been deemed casual contacts and should isolate until they receive a negative test result.
HealthSure Medical Centre Jesmond
Those who were there between 3.20pm and 3.55pm on Monday, August 2 have been deemed close contacts and must immediately isolate for 14 days and seek testing.
Jump N Swim Academy Thornton
Those in the pool and pool deck area on Wednesday, August 4 between 5pm and 5.30pm have been deemed close contacts and should immediately isolate for 14 days and seek testing. Those who were elsewhere at that time, or anywhere in the centre between 4.30pm and 5pm, and 5.30pm and 6pm, are considered causal contacts, and should isolate until they receive a negative test result.
Charlestown Square
All those who attended Charlestown Square between 3pm and 6pm on Thursday, July 29 are considered casual contacts and should isolate immediately until receiving a negative test result.
Those who attended certain stores, including the Apple Store, Boost Juice, Priceline, Cotton On, Jay Jays, Glassons, Supre, Factorie, Pearl Nails, the Ground Floor News Agency, Guzman Y Gomez and McDonald on that date between 3pm and 6pm are considered close contacts, and must immediately seek testing and isolate for 14 days, or await further advice from NSW Health.
Target Glendale
People who attended Target Glendale between 8.50am and 1.30pm on Sunday, August 1 have been told to isolate until they receive a negative test result.
Schools
All students from Lake Munmorah Public School, Morisset High School and Maitland Christian School have been asked to self-isolate and await further advice.
Anyone with cold or flu symptoms should seek Covid testing under the advice of NSW Health.
Sporting chaos
At 2pm
Sporting clubs across the Hunter could be thrown into chaos if the lockdown lasts for more than seven days.
A number of sporting codes are anxiously awaiting to see whether competitions can continue, with most in their finals series, hoping they can resume next weekend and avoid cancellation all together.
CEO of Newcastle Rugby League Charlie Haggett said as a result the Denton Engineering Cup round 18 matches would be postponed, pushing the finals series back by one week.
She said the association would reassess pending any further updates this coming week.
“Hopefully we see no increase in Covid numbers in the Newcastle/Hunter area and the restrictions get lifted,” Ms Haggett said.
Hunter Rugby also confirmed all clubs had been notified games for this weekend had been suspended, with competitions to resume once the lockdown was complete.
The Hunter Valley Football Association said at this stage, it had suspended, but not cancelled, all football activities.
“A decision on our remainder of games will be made next week once we have a better idea if the lockdown period might be extended,” a spokesperson said.
While the Newcastle Netball Association said if lockdown was lifted next Friday, it would resume all competitions and play finals.
“Our competition is due to end August 28 so it is a ‘wait and see’ moment,” President Cheryl Hernando said.
New Exposures
At 12.20pm
Information has changed on the status of people who visited Charlestown Square on Thursday, July 29, between 3pm – 6pm.
If you were at Charlestown Square at all during these times, you are now considered a casual contact and must get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.
If you visited the below stores at certain times, you are now considered a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days, or await further advice from NSW Health.
Apple Store, from 3.10pm to 3.50pm, Boost Juice, from 3.52pm to 3.56pm, Cotton On, from 3.57pm to 3.58pm, Jay Jays, from 3.58pm to 4.13pm, and 4.54pm to 4.59pm, Priceline Pharmacy, from 4.20pm to 4.25pm, Glassons, from 4.26pm to 4.41pm, Supre, from 4.43pm to 4.53pm, Factorie, from 5.02pm to 5.08pm, Charlestown Square Food Court (Guzman y Gomez and McDonalds) from 5.09pm to 5.44pm, Ground Level News Agency, from 3.16pm to 3.22pm, and 4.18pm to 4 .24pm, Pearl Nails, from 3.23pm to 4.18pm
No Hunter ‘ring of steel’
At 11.45am
Premier Gladys Berejiklian has shot down suggestions a ‘ring of steel’ should separate Sydney from other regions unaffected or with small case numbers of the Covid-19 Delta outbreak.
“A ring of steel does not prevent delta from getting out, it acts differently from any other strain,” Ms Berejiklian said.
She said already police were out and about in all areas of the state, supported by the ADF, with strict rules in place.
“Delta does not understand boundaries.
“Best way to get us out is people doing the right thing but also getting vaccinated. Those are the two things that will help us more than anything.”
New exposure site
At 11.30am
Priceline Jesmond has been identified as another exposure site. Anyone who was there on Monday, August 2 between 4pm and 4.20pm is considered a casual contact and should isolate until they receive a negative test result.
Two new Hunter cases
At 11am
The Hunter recorded two new cases as of Thursday morning, taking the region’s total to seven for this outbreak.
The new cases include a woman in her 60s linked to known cases among a Central Coast family, and a woman in her 20s linked to a known Newcastle case.
There were 291 new cases of community transmission across the state, with at least 50 of those infectious while in the community. One woman in her 60s has died at Liverpool Hospital.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 110,000 NSW people were tested on Wednesday, while 84,000 were vaccinated.
“The more people we get vaccinated, the sooner we’ll be able to live more freely,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“Please come forward and get vaccinated. I can’t stress that enough.”
Testing confusion
At 10.30am
Tensions were high and lines long as thousands across the Hunter flocked to Covid-19 testing clinics on Friday morning.
Laverty Pathology set up a major drive-through testing clinic at McDonald Jones Stadium at Broadmeadow, but there was confusion around when the clinic was supposed to open.
The clinic opened at 11am but there was initial advice it would open at 9am.
Police, which will have a high presence at the clinic all day to manage traffic control, have been sprayed with insults from people angry at having to wait to be tested.
A police spokesperson said they appreciated the situation was frustrating, but asked people to be patient and said police were there to help. They urged drivers to follow the directions of officers.
The McDonald Jones Stadium clinic will operate 7.30am to 4pm over the weekend and 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday.
New exposure sites
At 10am
Hunter New England Health has identified a Jesmond medical centre and a number of stores at Charlestown Square as new exposure sites. The update was made in a post on the HNEH Facebook page but the exposure sites have yet to appear on the NSW Health website.
HealthSure Medical Centre Jesmond: Those who were there between 3.20pm and 3.55pm on Monday, August 2 have been deemed close contacts and must immediately isolate for 14 days and seek testing.
Charlestown Square on July 29: Apple Store from 3.10pm to 3.50pm; Boost Juice from 3.52pm to 3.56pm; Cotton On from 3.57pm to 3.58pm; Jay Jays from 3.58pm to 4.13pm; Priceline Pharmacy from 4.20pm to 4.25pm; Glassons from 4.26pm to 4.41pm; Supre, Charlestown Square from 4.43pm to 4.53pm; Factorie from 5.02pm to 5.08pm; Food Court (Guzman y Gomez and McDonalds) from 5.09pm to 5.44pm; Ground Level News Agency from 3.16pm to 3.22pm, and 4.18pm to 4 .24pm; Pearl Nails, from 3.23pm to 4.18pm. People who visited those places are considered casual contacts and should isolate until they receive a negative test result.
The University of Newcastle Auchmuty Library is no longer a venue of concern and was not visited by an active case.
Stadium testing clinic opens
At 8am
McDonald Jones Stadium at Broadmeadow will open as a drive-through testing clinic from 9am.
The clinic is open until 6pm and again over the weekend.
Thornton swim centre exposure site
At 7.30am
Jump N Swim Academy Thornton has been identified as an exposure site after two infected people visited between 5pm and 5.30pm on Wednesday, August 4.
Those in the pool and pool deck area at that time have been deemed close contacts and should immediately isolate and seek testing.
Those who were elsewhere at that time, or anywhere in the centre between 4.30pm and 5pm, and 5.30pm and 6pm are considered causal contacts, and should isolate until they receive a negative test result. Casual contacts will also need to be retested on Monday, August 9.
The swim centre said in a statement it had been made away of the exposure by NSW Health.
University exposure times update
At 7am
Exposure times at the University of Newcastle’s Auchmuty Library have been revised.
The infected person visited between 5pm and 11pm on Thursday, July 29 – not Friday, July 30.
Anyone who was in the library between 4pm and midnight on Thursday, July 29 should isolate and seek testing.
More Coverage
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