Hunter Covid-19: Jesmond Public School student contracts Covid as region records six new cases
A Lake Macquarie bus route is among new exposure sites listed by NSW Health on Monday evening. It comes as six new cases were announced overnight. Read our rolling coverage.
Newcastle
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The Hunter has recorded six new Covid cases overnight, taking the region’s total to 23 for this outbreak. It comes as a Newcastle public school has warned has returned a positive result.
The new cases take the Hunter New England Local Health District total to 26, although no new cases were recorded in the New England overnight.
Tamworth will enter a one-week lockdown at 5pm as a precaution, after an infected woman from Newcastle visited.
Statewide, 283 cases were recorded and at least 64 were infectious while in the community.
A woman in her 90s from northern Sydney has died.
RELATED: Fake Covid messaging causes alarm on the Mid-North Coast
The new Hunter cases include:
- A young girl from Maitland, linked to the Maitland Christian School closure
- A female in her 20s from Newcastle, linked to University of Newcastle
- A male in his 30s from Toronto, linked to University of Newcastle
- A male in his 20s from Maitland – infection source under investigation
- A male in his 40s from Medowie – infection source under investigation
- A male in his 30s from Newcastle – infection source under investigation
MONDAY’S ROLLING COVERAGE:
Bus route among new exposure sites
At 7pm
A bus route is among new exposure sites identified by NSW Health.
People who attended the below venues are considered close contacts and must immediately seek testing and isolate for 14 days, and wait for advice from NSW Health:
- Bus 269 Teralba to Warners Bay on Tuesday, August 3 between 10.45am-11am, and Thursday, August 5 between 10.45am-11am
- Air Locker Training Kotara on Monday, August 2 between 8.15am-9.15am, and Tuesday, August 3 between 6.15am-7.15am
- Subway Warners Bay on Tuesday, August 2 between 11am-5pm, Wednesday, August 4 between 11.30am-5pm, and Friday, August 5 between 11am-6pm
- Wests New Lambton (lower alfresco gaming area, main bar and Hopsmith bar smoking area) on Wednesday, August 4 between 7.50pm-10pm
People who attended the below venues are considered casual contacts and must isolate until a negative test result is received:
- Big W Charlestown Square on Wednesday, August 4 from 9.16am-10am
- Coles Warners Bay Village Shopping Centre on Tuesday, August 3 from 10.45am-10.47am
- Aldi Newcastle West on Tuesday, August 3 from 9.25am-9.30am
- Newcastle Basketball Stadium Broadmeadow on Tuesday, August 3 from 8.30pm-9.30pm
- McDonald’s Charlestown Square on Thursday, July 29 between 5.05pm-5.45pm
Jesmond Public School pupil tests positive
At 1.30pm
Jesmond Public School has reported that one of their students has tested positive for Covid-19.
The school’s Facebook post reads:
“The NSW Department of Education has been advised by NSW Health that a student at our school has tested positive for COVID-19.
“Our school will be non-operational immediately for the on-site attendance of students, staff and visitors to allow time for contact tracing and cleaning.
“The Victory OOSH will be non-operational during this time.
“All staff and students are asked to self-isolate until you receive further advice.
“NSW Health has requested anyone who has been unwell or if you develop any symptoms such as a fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, loss of smell/taste, muscle/joint pains, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting or extreme tiredness to be tested at one of the COVID-19 testing clinics.
“Further information about COVID-19 is available on the NSW Government website.
“The NSW Department of Education will continue to work closely with NSW Health to ensure the health and safety of all students and staff is maintained.
“The safety and wellbeing of our staff and students is of paramount importance to us at all times. As such we will continue to work closely with NSW Health to ensure that all necessary health advice is adhered to.
“While we recognise this will be disruptive and inconvenient for families, it is important that we follow NSW Health advice and take all necessary precautions to minimise the risk of further transmission to support our community.
“Thank you for your ongoing support.”
Testing clinic worker ‘spat at’
At noon
Police are appealing for information after a testing clinic employee was spat at in Maitland on Saturday.
In a statement, police said the unknown man was waiting at a drive through-clinic on Blomfield St about 3pm, and became abusive after he was told the clinic was closing.
It’s alleged he then spat at the employee, narrowly missing him, before fleeing in a white coloured vehicle towards Wallace St.
The man is described as being of Caucasian appearance and without his two front teeth.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage should call Maitland Police on 4934 0200 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Tamworth in lockdown after woman travels from Newcastle
At 11am
Tamworth will go into a one-week lockdown at 5pm after a woman exposed to Covid-19 travelled from Newcastle last week.
Dr Kerry Chant said the young woman was exposed to Covid in Newcastle before travelling to the New England city on the night of August 4.
She then visited several businesses in Tamworth on August 5 before travelling back to Newcastle.
Dr Chant said the woman did not know she was infectious when she travelled to Tamworth. She is now isolating in Newcastle.
“No, the person who travelled to Tamworth at the time didn’t know she was infectious,” Dr Chant said.
“It was subsequent to that she was made aware.
“She is now back in Newcastle and isolating.”
The close contact venues of Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant, The Junction (any time from Saturday, July 31 to Thursday, August 5) and Mr Rice Takeaway on Darby St at Cooks Hill (on Wednesday, August 4 from 3.00pm-3.20pm) have been linked to the woman’s case, while a number of Tamworth venues were also identified.
“I would urge everyone to reconsider their movements today,” Dr Chant said.
“Even before those (5pm lockdown) orders take effect.”
The new cases take the Hunter New England Local Health District total to 26, although no new cases were recorded in the New England overnight.
Police hand out a further 76 fines
At 10.50am
Hunter police have handed out a further 76 PINs for breaching the public health order on Sunday, taking the total since the lockdown to 245 fines.
The breakdown of the figures in each police district is:
HUNTER VALLEY – 13
PORT STEPHENS-HUNTER – 29
NEWCASTLE CITY – 7
LAKE MACQUARIE – 27
Taking out the Central Coast figures from the first two days, there have been 193 PINs issued in the four Hunter police districts since Thursday afternoon. The total breakdown of figures across each police district is:
HUNTER VALLEY – 50
PORT STEPHENS-HUNTER – 42
NEWCASTLE CITY – 45
LAKE MACQUARIE – 56
Cases concern business community
At 8.30am
Rising case numbers in the region have prompted Business Hunter to issue a warning on the devastating impact an extended lockdown would have on the local economy.
“Case numbers are nearing 20 in the Hunter which puts us at risk of extended lockdowns beyond August 12,” Business Hunter CEO Bob Hawes said.
“The hardest hit sectors in the Hunter region of accommodation and food service, arts and recreation alone employ around 26,860 people, provide around $21.7 million per week in wages, and generate $80.6 million in average weekly output.
“The economic contribution by these sectors has been devastated. I can’t imagine these sectors sustaining extended lockdowns knowing the activity here in the Hunter was already struggling when Sydney first went into restrictions.”
Mr Hawes said stronger penalties may be needed to stop people breaking the rules.
“When you consider the weight of the economic and health costs, it is arguable the sanctions for breaches are not going far enough – they are clearly not a deterrent for some people,” he said.
“We believe every business has the right to ensure people entering their premises are doing so in a compliant fashion and there shouldn’t be any leeway given to breaches.”
Supermarkets among exposure sites
At 7am
People who attended the below venues are considered close contacts and must immediately seek testing and isolate for 14 days, and wait for advice from NSW Health:
- Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant, The Junction any time from Saturday, July 31 to Thursday, August 5
- Mr Rice Takeaway, Cooks Hill on Wednesday, August 4 from 3.00pm-3.20pm
People who attended the below venues are considered casual contacts and must isolate until a negative test result is received:
- Coles Medowie on Wednesday, August 4 from 6.19pm-6.35pm
- Coles Toronto on Monday, August 2 from 4.45pm-5.15pm
- Coles Wallsend on Monday, August 2 from 5.25pm-5.35pm
- Aldi Raymond Terrace on Thursday, August 5 from 4.05pm-4.30pm
Meanwhile, two new Covid testing clinics have opened and operating hours have been extended at the drive-through clinic at McDonald Jones Stadium after Hunter residents waited hours to be tested across the weekend.
A clinic at 84 Green St, Telarah opened at 8am Monday, and will operate 8am to 6pm, seven days a week.
A second facility will open at Lakeside Sports Complex, Raymond Terrace on Tuesday, also operating 8am to 6pm, seven days a week.
The clinics do no require an appointment or GP referral.
The McDonald Jones Stadium drive-through clinic has been extended to 10pm daily with thousands swabbed there since it opened on Friday morning.
The Hunter recorded six new Covid cases on Sunday, taking the region’s total to 17 for the current outbreak.
Armidale recorded one new case, adding to two cases there on Saturday, bringing the overall Hunter New England Local Health District total to 20.
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