Port Stephens: Goodstart childcare centre, Tomaree public and high schools closed for cleaning after COVID-19 case
COVID-19 has hit Port Stephens, as an Anna Bay childcare centre and two schools are closed for deep cleaning. Three new cases hail from a recent diagnosis in Port Stephens, a close contact of an infected Sydney visitor.
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All three newly confirmed COVID-19 cases in Port Stephens are in strict isolation as Hunter health authorities try to identify any further venues they have visited.
Goodstart Anna Bay Childcare Centre has been temporarily closed for contact tracing and deep cleaning after a toddler tested positive for the virus.
In a statement, the centre said, “families have been notified of the closure and the parents of any child who was in close contact with the positive case will be contacted directly by New South Wales Health”.
Both Tomaree Public School and Tomaree High School also closed on Thursday for contact tracing and deep cleaning, after a student under 10 at Tomaree Public contracted the virus.
The third case is a man in his 30s.
All three are connected with the recent case in Port Stephens - a man in his 60s - who was in contact with a visitor from Sydney.
The man in his 20s infected a friend at Port Stephens while visiting on July 13, forcing a local shopping centre into high alert and the closure of a pub.
It was confirmed the Sydney case was one of 11 people infected via the Thai Rock Restaurant cluster.
Local health authorities have issued a warning to customers at the Salamander Bay Shopping Centre, who visited on July 15 and attended the Woolworths supermarket from the 17-20th July, to get tested for COVID-19, especially those who are showing flu-like symptoms.
People who went to the Fingal Bay Cafe on Market street on the 17th July between 11.30 and 12pm, should also get tested.
Both venues have had a deep clean and there is no ongoing risk to the public.
An East Maitland pub was also closed on Wednesday for deep cleaning and for all staff to get tested, after it was confirmed late Tuesday the Sydney coronavirus case had visited the venue on July 13, between 6-8pm.
It’s prompted an alert from Hunter health authorities, warning people who attended any of the mentioned venues on those days, and residents and visitors to the Port Stephens area, to seek testing if they’re showing flu-like symptoms.
“Don’t visit Sydney” has also been the message following a number of newly diagnosed cases which have started to pop up across the Hunter.