Hunter Covid: Seven new cases, drive-through vaccination clinic opens at Kotara
The Hunter has recorded seven new Covid cases while a drive-through vaccination clinic – one of the state’s first – has opened at Kotara.
Newcastle
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The Hunter recorded 10 new Covid cases across the weekend, including seven on Sunday and three on Saturday.
Two of the cases recorded on Sunday were from Newcastle, two from Port Stephens, two from Maitland and one from Cessnock.
Four were linked to known infections while three were unlinked. Six were infectious in the community.
Saturday’s cases included two from Thornton, that were unlinked and infectious in the community, and one from North Lambton, that was connected to the Costco cluster.
The weekend’s cases take the Hunter’s total since the beginning of the Delta outbreak on August 5 to 175, and the overall Hunter New England Local Health District total to 179. No new cases were recorded in the New England region.
Three new exposure venues have been identified, including The Cheesecake Shop East Maitland on Saturday 21 August from 11.35am – 11.45am; Discount Drug Stores Thornton on Monday August 23 from 6pm to 6.10pm and 6.20pm to 6.30pm; and Coles Thornton on Monday August 23 from 6.10pm-6.30pm.
Anyone who was at those locations at the listed times is considered a casual contact and must isolate until they receive a negative test result.
No further cases have been recorded among residents of a Windale social housing unit complex after a 52-year-old man living there tested positive.
The man, who was fined $1000 for travelling to Sydney where he contracted the virus, is undergoing treatment in hospital, while all other residents of 17-19 James St remain in isolation.
They will undergo a third round of testing on Monday before it is decided whether the hard lockdown of the unit complex should be lifted.
Meanwhile, the city’s first drive-through vaccination centre has opened at Kotara.
Kotara Family Practice will run the service in the Westfield Kotara car park Monday to Friday by appointment.
“In line with the health advice and in response to the worsening outbreak of Delta, we strongly encourage everyone over the age of 16 to consider Covid vaccination as soon as possible,” the practice said in a statement on Facebook.
The clinic will provide AstraZeneca to anyone aged 18 and over, with a second dose from four weeks.
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