New coronavirus case from Hunter New England region prompts calls not to travel to Sydney

Stay home. That’s the message from the Hunter’s health experts urging us not to visit Sydney following 20 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in NSW, with a new case from the Hunter New England region.

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Local health authorities are warning people in the Hunter to stay away from Sydney, with one of the latest confirmed cases of COVID-19 from the Hunter New England area.

A 34-year-old man, who is a returned overseas traveller from the Middle East, is now in hotel quarantine in Sydney.

He’s one of the 20 new cases of coronavirus diagnosed in NSW.

Drive through COVID-19 testing clinic, Club Macquarie, Argenton. Picture Amy Ziniak

It’s comes after a number of newly diagnosed cases have started to pop up across the Hunter, with two active cases currently recorded in Charlestown.

Dr David Durrheim, Hunter New England Health’s Public Health Controller for the COVID-19 response, advised the public to avoid unnecessary travel to Sydney where possible and to re-test when new symptoms appear.

“If you’ve been tested in the past a single negative test doesn’t mean that if you develop new symptoms that you’re COVID-19 free,” Dr. Durrheim said.

“It’s important to go get tested again.

“If you give this virus half a chance, it can spread very rapidly and even from asymptomatic people, before they develop symptoms.

20 NEW CASES IN NSW

• Three people who were contacts of cases linked to the Crossroads Hotel cluster

• Eight people associated with the Thai Rock Restaurant in Stockland Mall Wetherill Park, including four who attended the restaurant and four close contacts

• Four people associated with the Bateman’s Bay Soldiers Club, including two diners, one staff member and a contact of the previously reported cases

• Four overseas travellers in hotel quarantine

• One person who was infected while in Victoria who entered NSW before the border restrictions were in place.