After more than six months of zero COVID-19 cases on the Central Coast, two residents in the 2261 postcode area have been diagnosed with the coronavirus.
Suburbs in the 2261 postcode include Bateau Bay, Berkeley Vale, Chittaway Bay, Glenning Valley, Killarney Vale, Long Jetty, The Entrance and Tumbi Umbi.
A spokesperson for Central Coast Local Health District said one of the Covid cases was linked to the Sydney cluster relating to the Great Ocean Foods seafood wholesaler in Marrickville.
The second case is a household contact of the first case.
Both residents were in self isolation during their infectious period and there is no identified risk to the community, according to the Health District spokesperson.
One close contact has been identified and is in home isolation, even though testing negative for COVID-19.
Health authorities are urging everyone to remain vigilant and to adhere to the current restrictions put in place by the NSW Government.
These include stay at home orders for all Greater Sydney, including the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour, until 11.59pm on Friday, July 9.
People must stay at home unless it is for an essential reason such as: shopping for food or other essential goods and services; compassionate needs or medical care; exercising outdoors in groups of 10 or fewer; or, essential work or education where you cannot work or study at home.
People who have been in the Greater Sydney region, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour on or after Monday, June 21, must follow the stay-at-home orders for a period of 14 days after leaving Greater Sydney
Officers from the Tuggerah Lakes Police District have so far caught and fined eight people in the northern suburbs for breaching public health orders. (See separate article)
Meanwhile, there has surge in people taking Covid tests at Wyong and Gosford hospitals as well as 10 other locations.
Parliamentary Secretary for Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said there had been 1,763 people tested in the space of one week at Wyong and Gosford hospitals, in addition to hundres more at other testing sites.
“The number recorded at the hospitals is almost double the number of tests conducted in the previous week and I want to thank everyone in our community who is treating this Covid outbreak with the seriousness it requires.”
Between June 24 to 30 there were 1,763 tests conducted; from June 17 to 23 there were 968; June 10 to 16, 628; and June 3 to 9, 532.
“We must sustain these high rates of testing to ensure that there is no undetected community transmission of the contagious Delta strain,” Crouch said.
“Given our proximity to Sydney, the NSW Health advice has indicated that we must continue to minimise our movement in order to prevent a seeding event on the Central Coast,” Crouch said.
The COVID-19 tests are free, quick and can be accessed at many locations, including The Entrance Leagues Club, Doyalson RSL Club, Wyong Leagues Club, the medical centre at 1 Bryant Dr, Tuggerah and Wyong Hospital.
“After taking a Covid test you must self-isolate until you receive a negative result and we’re finding that about 95 percent of test results are returned to patients within 24 hours,” Crouch said.
The common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, sore or scratchy throat, runny nose, shortness of breath and loss of taste or smell.
Even if you take a Covid test but then redevelop symptoms, no matter how mild, you must be re-tested.
Sue Murray
We have no Covid cases in the lower central coast so why are we being penalised like the idiots in Sydney who refuse to stay at home?
I think one of the reasons we are in lockdown is due to the amount of people that live on the Central Coast, and work in Sydney. I just wish people would isolate so we can go back to normal, Back to work, people have paid the ultimate deficit, loosing there lives, some there business, there homes. Some have lost everything. People need to vaccinate.
It would be great if by the 30th midnight, we have no signs of the virus Central Coast can be separated from the restrictions of greater Sydney
Yes things could be better one thing is coming state and federal and council elections it is up to use to make the decision to oust the lot that have lied to the public from the very start the lies on what vaccines they have acquired the priminster and premiere just can’t lie in bed straight I will not vote again for bullshit liers
The idiots/gronks that went from the central coast to rally in Sydney have stopped us from getting out of isolation so thanks very much You fools.
I had a woman not wearing a mask at bateau bay I thought she might have forgot so I put my hand on my face to alarm her but all I got was abuse she said she had a doctors exemption (b/s) to anyone who cannot or will not wear a mask stay home and get home delivery or get someone who will wear a mask to get some lollies because that is what she got.