Health officials concerned for Merimbula after Covid-19 found in sewage

NSW Health officials have put a south coast town on notice as a potential new front for Covid-19 after the virus was detected in sewage.

Popular south coast town Merimbula has been flagged a significant new area of concern by NSW Health officials as Covid-19 was detected more than 500km from the epicentre of Sydney.

As the state recorded 919 new locally acquired infections on Wednesday, NSW chief health officer Dr Kerry Chant put Merimbula on notice despite the town being five and a half hours’ south of Sydney’s outbreak.

That is because high levels of fragments of the virus that causes Covid-19 have been detected in sewage surveillance at a treatment plant which serves 15,500 people around Merimbula, near Bega.

Dr Chant said Merimbula’s proximity to Canberra, two and a half hours’ northwest from Merimbula, was of particular concern after the ACT recorded 16 new cases on Tuesday, with more expected to be announced later on Wednesday.

NSW deputy premier John Barilaro, who is also Regional NSW Minister, said health officials were concerned because Merimbula had been Covid-free for some time.

Apart from sewage surveillance discovering fragments of the virus in April, Merimbula has not reported a case since July 2020, when a Melbourne teenager was holidaying there while infectious with Covid-19.

Merimbula has no active cases, but fragments of Covid-19 have been detected in sewage.

Merimbula was plunged into chaos in July 2020 when a Melbourne teenager was holidaying there while infectious. Picture: Facebook

“(We have detected) a high level of surveillance over sewerage in Merimbula (and it’s a worry) because of their proximity to Canberra and (the fact) we know many people from Canberra have moved to the south coast,” Mr Barilaro said.

“It's an area that has been quite clean from Covid for a long time and we are asking the community to come out and be tested immediately, even for the mildest of symptoms.”

However, parts of the south coast closer to Sydney do have new and active cases, with the Illawarra/Shoalhaven health district recording eight cases overnight.

Originally published as Health officials concerned for Merimbula after Covid-19 found in sewage