Hunter Covid: Windale man in hospital after being fined $1000 for travelling to Sydney where he caught virus
Rolling coverage: The Hunter has recorded four new Covid cases including a Windale man who was hospitalised after being fined for travelling to Western Sydney.
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A Windale man whose Covid diagnosis forced his social housing unit complex into a hard lockdown caught the virus in Western Sydney.
The infection was one of four Hunter cases recorded on Wednesday and the only one infectious while in the community.
The 52-year-old was fined $1000 on Sunday for breaching the public health order by travelling to Marayong to visit a friend, and ordered by police not to leave his apartment.
In a compliance check on Tuesday his condition had deteriorated and he was transferred to John Hunter Hospital where he is receiving treatment for Covid.
Police are now working with health officials to determine anywhere the man may have visited after returning from Sydney.
“This is a case of great concern,” Hunter New England Health public health physician Dr David Durrheim said.
“We are working with police and with the case to better understand any community exposures there may have been.”
Other residents of the unit complex have been tested and forced to isolate until they receive a negative result.
Hunter New England Health also made an urgent call out to anyone who may have visited the building at 17-19 James St, Windale to also get tested.
“Anyone who visited the apartment complex from the evening of Friday, August 20 to the morning of Tuesday, August 24 must get tested and isolate until a negative result is received,” a spokeswoman said in a statement.
“This situation reinforces the need for everyone living in apartment complexes to wear a face mask in shared foyer or lobby areas, lifts, stairwells and corridors, and shared laundry facilities of apartment complexes.
“This advice applies to everyone, including residents, visitors, building managers, contractors, delivery drivers and cleaners.”
Dr Durrheim cast the net wider, urging anyone living in Windale to seek testing.
“While we figure out exactly who may have been exposed this is a very good time to think about getting tested, even with the mildest of symptoms,” he said.
Between 20-29 per cent of Windale residents are fully vaccinated, placing it about 10 per cent behind surrounding suburbs.
The case has prompted state Labor MP Jodie Harrison to call for targeted vaccinations for Windale residents.
“The government must act quickly to get vaccines into the arms of people living in this community,” Ms Harrison said.
“Access to vaccines in this area has to be improved.
“I have been watching the vaccination program targeted at suburbs in Western and South Western Sydney, an area of concern, and want to recognise and applaud the hard work of all involved in increasing the vaccination rates occurring there.”
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said he had “no problem” calling for targeted vaccinations for the suburb.
“We do that already, we have done that in Wilcannia, in the Far West and the Central West where we have a major outbreak,” he said.
Mr Barilaro said he would review the decision made by NSW Health regarding a targeted vaccination program.
Elsewhere in the region cases were recorded at Wallsend, Raymond Terrace and North Rothbury.
The three cases were close contacts of known infections and already isolating at home.
They take the region’s total for this outbreak to 164, and the overall Hunter New England Local Health District total to 168, with 114 of those still active.
The James St unit complex is the second residential building in the Hunter to be locked down by health officials.
Residents at a Cardiff apartment complex were last week tested and forced to isolate after three members of the same family tested positive for Covid.
All other residents of Block A at Amelie Housing, Sturt St have since returned negative results.
WEDNESDAY’S ROLLING COVERAGE
Windale case fined and in hospital
At 2pm
The Windale man infected with Covid was fined $1000 by police on Sunday for breaching the public health order by travelling to Sydney.
A NSW Police spokeswoman said the man was transferred to John Hunter Hospital for Covid treatment on Tuesday, after he was found unwell when officers visited his home to check he was isolating.
Windale case caught Covid in Blacktown
At 1pm
A Windale person whose Covid diagnosis forced their social housing unit complex into a hard lockdown caught the virus in Western Sydney.
The infection was one of four Hunter cases recorded on Wednesday and the only one infectious while in the community.
Police have been called in to help health officials determine where exactly the infected person has been since returning from Blacktown.
“This is a case of great concern,” Hunter New England Health public health physician Dr David Durrheim said.
“We are working with police and with the case to better understand any community exposures there may have been.”
Call for targeted Windale vaccinations
At 11.30am
State Labor MP for Charlestown, Jodie Harrison, has called for urgent vaccinations for Windale residents after a person contracted Covid, forcing their apartment complex into a hard lockdown.
“The Government must act quickly to get vaccines into the arms of people living in this community,” Ms Harrison said.
“I have written to the Health Minister urging him to act now. Access to vaccines in this area has to be improved.
“I have been watching the vaccination program targeted at suburbs in Western and South Western Sydney, an area of concern, and want to recognise and applaud the hard work of all involved in increasing the vaccination rates occurring there.
“I am urging the Health Minister to do the same for the people of Windale.”
Between 20-29 per cent of Windale residents are fully vaccinated – about 10 per cent less than surrounding suburbs.
Four new Hunter cases
At 11am
The Hunter has recorded four new Covid cases with just one infectious in the community.
One of the cases was from Wallsend, one from Windale (infectious in community), one from North Rothbury and one from Raymond Terrace.
All of the cases were linked to known infections, while 714 close contacts are isolating across the region.
Thirty-one Hunter people are in hospital with Covid but none are in intensive care.
The cases take the region’s total for this outbreak to 164, and the overall Hunter New England Local Health District total to 168, while 114 infections are still active.
Statewide, 919 cases were recorded.
Testing clinic for emergency workers
At 10am
A new drive-through testing clinic for emergency services personnel and frontline staff from Lake Macquarie City Council has opened at Speers Point.
The clinic will test police, firefighters, paramedics, council staff and their direct family members.
It is located in the car park of the council’s administration building and will operate 7.30am to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday.
Windale apartment complex in lockdown
At 7.30am
A second Lake Macquarie unit block has been locked down after a resident tested positive for Covid-19.
Residents at 17-19 James St, Windale have been ordered to isolate until they receive a negative test result.
Hunter New England Health has also issued an alert for anyone who may have visited the building from the evening of Friday, August 20 to the morning of Tuesday, August 24 to do the same.
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