Kyogle goes into 11-day lockdown after Covid cases detected

Kyogle residents have been sent into Covid-19 lockdown after new cases raised the risk of a more serious outbreak.

Kyogle will go into lockdown from midnight on Thursday after four Covid-19 cases were detected.

Kyogle residents will go into lockdown from midnight on Thursday as NSW Health tries to contain the risk of spread after new cases were detected earlier in the week.

A NSW Health spokesman said the lockdown would end on October 11 and would apply to anyone who had been in the Kyogle local government area since September 21.

The Narromine local government area, west of Dubbo, will also go into lockdown at midnight on Thursday.

“Everyone in these local government areas must stay at home unless it is for an essential reason, which includes shopping for food, medical care, getting vaccinated, compassionate needs, exercise and work or tertiary education if you can’t work or study at home,” the spokesman said.

NSW Health on Thursday confirmed there had been four Covid-19 cases detected in Kyogle since an administration team member from The Casino Co-op meatworks was confirmed to have the virus on Tuesday.

It comes as health authorities work to determine the extent of Covid exposures caused by a Queensland delivery driver who tested positive to the virus in Tweed Heads.

The man, in his 40s, was on Thursday added to the region’s Covid-19 case numbers.

He had been infectious in NSW since Monday, September 27 and visited venues in Tweed Heads, Byron Bay, Ballina, Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Taree, Newcastle, Erina and the Sydney suburbs of Narrabeen, Collaroy, Manly and Freshwater and Brookvale.

NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant said during a Thursday press conference there had been new sewage detections of the Covid-19 virus in Tweed Heads, Banora Point and South Grafton.

There are no confirmed local cases of the virus in those suburbs.

Health authorities on Thursday would not say whether or not any parts of the Northern Rivers would go into a new lockdown.

It comes after cases were confirmed at Kyogle and Byron Bay on Tuesday, hours before the Tweed and Byron Shires left lockdown.

“Things will change slightly on October 11,” Dr Chant said.

“At that time the only people permitted to go to some of the premises such as hospitality will be fully vaccinated so there’ll be additional controls.”

Dr Chant said there was cause for concern and caution in the regions.

“We are seeing an increase in cases in our regional areas and again, urge everyone in regional areas to take the opportunity to get vaccinated as quickly as possible but also keep presenting for testing,” Dr Chant said.

NSW Chief Health Minister Dr Kerry Chant. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Three new cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm Wednesday in the Northern NSW Local Health District.

All three of those cases were in the Kyogle Shire and were already reported by health authorities.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has meanwhile announced the state government would maintain its contribution to the JobSaver program until November 30, while the federal government would wind back its funding to the scheme.

“When we do open up at 70 per cent and 80 per cent (double vaccination) businesses will not be operating at full capacity so (we are) maintaining the NSW Government’s contribution to this program,” he said.

He said the government had a plan to move from its economic response to economic recovery phase, with more details to be revealed in October.

The recovery will take into account tourism-centric businesses which rely on international visitors.

“I’m incredibly confident that the NSW economy will bounce back,” Mr Perrottet said.

“All tourism and accommodation providers have gone through a very difficult not just three months, but 18 months.”

Meanwhile, NSW Health and the Northern NSW Local Health District have released a list of casual contact locations associated with Covid-19 cases in the region.

Two extra Covid-19 cases were confirmed in the Kyogle area on Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases in the local health district to five.

That includes one case in Byron Bay.

Northern Co-operative Meat Company’s Casino facility, where the first Kyogle case works in administration.

The local health district said in a statement the two latest Kyogle cases – to be included in Thursday’s numbers – were close contact of two previously identified cases in the same area.

“The source of infection is still under investigation,” the health district said.

“Northern NSW Local Health District has been notified of a number of new venues of concern associated with confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the region.

“Anyone who attended (those) venues at the times listed is considered a casual contact and must get tested and isolate until they get a negative result.”

If you are directed to be tested for Covid-19 or to self-isolate, you are required to follow the rules given to you by Health staff, even if the venue or exposure site is not listed on the NSW Health website.

Originally published as Kyogle goes into 11-day lockdown after Covid cases detected