Worrying sewage tests find traces of coronavirus in country towns 480km from Sydney where there are no reported cases
- Fragments of coronavirus found in country towns 480km from Greater Sydney
- Areas include Molong, Hunter New England and Armidale in the state's west
- Traces of the virus also detected on the northern Central Coast and Wollongong
- Worrying sewage tests come as NSW records 239 new local cases of Covid-19
Worrying traces of coronavirus have been found in sewage catchments in regional New South Wales despite the country towns reporting no cases of Covid-19.
Fragments of the virus have been detected in sewage tests in the state's west, in Molong, Hunter New England and Armidale more than 480km from the outbreak in Greater Sydney.
Traces were also discovered on the northern Central Coast and Wollongong, as the state recorded 239 new infections.
NSW Deputy Chief Health Officer Jeremy McAnulty made the announcement during the Covid update on Sunday and issued a warning to affected residents.
Fragments of the virus have been detected in the state's Central West and on the northern Central Coast and Wollongong, 480km from the outbreak in Greater Sydney
NSW Deputy Chief Health Officer Jeremy McAnulty asked residents in those areas to come forward for testing with even just the mildest symptoms of Covid-19
'People in those areas please come forward for testing with the mildest of symptoms,' he said.
NSW Health on Wednesday night issued an alert for the sewage treatment plant in Molong, which services around 1700 people in the state's Central West.
The Western Local Health District said a sample was tested at Molong near Orange last Monday and came back positive on Wednesday.
Officials said they were aware of a positive case of Covid-19 in the area, however the infected person lived outside the catchment of the treatment plant.
Residents in Molong are asked to be on high alert for any Covid-like symptoms, including a sore throat, runny nose, cough, fever, or headache.
The warning came only hours after Central West communities were released from a snap seven-day lockdown after a Cabonne Shire Council resident tested positive.
The man, the region's only case to date, caught the virus from a truck driver who had travelled from Greater Sydney earlier in July.
Mayor of Cabonne Kevin Beatty has called upon residents in the local community to come forward and get tested.
NSW Health on Wednesday night issued an alert for the sewage treatment plant in Molong, which services around 1700 people in the state's Central West
The Western Local Health District said a sample was tested at Molong near Orange last Monday and came back positive on Wednesday
Meanwhile, Mr McAnulty revealed a number of adults had been infected while working in childcare centres prompting warnings to keep children at home.
He strongly urged parents to reconsider keeping their children at home to curb the spread of infection.
'It is a reminder, please reserve childcare centres if you really need to have your child in child care,' he said. 'Otherwise, keep them at home to minimise the spread through childcare.'
Nine residents living at a Summer Hill aged care facility have also tested positive.
'On a regular basis we are seeing cases in hospital settings or aged care settings and we have even had some disability settings as well,' Mr McAnulty said.
'So there is an outbreak in a Summer Hill aged care facility with I understand nine residents affected. Fortunately, many of those have been vaccinated. As I understand it, the ones with vaccination are doing relatively well.'
There are currently 54 patients being treated in the intensive care unit with a large number under 60 years of age. Seven are in their 20s, five are in their 30s, two in their 40s and six in their 50s.
There are currently 54 patients being treated in the intensive care unit with a large number under 60 years of age
State premier Gladys Berejiklian renewed calls for Sydneysiders to get vaccinated amid the worrying case numbers
Dr McAnulty warned younger residents were the biggest spreaders of the virus.
'We are seeing cases at high rates in those age group,' he said.
"This is the age group that tends to be a link between kids, younger people, and older, elderly relatives.
'They are working, they have big social networks, if you are in that age group it is important that you be aware that you are very vulnerable to the infection, as we have seen in ICU numbers you can get serious disease. It is important you come forward for vaccination.'
State premier Gladys Berejiklian renewed calls for Sydneysiders to get vaccinated amid the worrying case numbers.
'Today is August 1 and I am calling upon the people of greater Sydney, and New South Wales, to come forward and get vaccinated,' she said.
'To get to the 70% target we need 9.2 million jabs. To get the 80% target we need 10 million jabs. We have been talking about this in New South Wales for some time.'
The new cases come as health authorities raise concerns about the number of people coming forward for testing.
The 239 new cases recorded on Sunday come as health authorities raise concerns about the number of people coming forward for testing
A stay at home order was also issued on Saturday evening for anyone in New South Wales who has visited 11 LGAs in Queensland since July 21
On Saturday, photos emerged of a Bondi Covid test centre sitting empty while a Fairfield clinic was packed with residents.
Bondi is part of the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, where there have been 301 positive cases in the four weeks to July 30.
That test rate in that LHD - 270 per 1,000 - lags behind South Western Sydney LHD on 450, Sydney LHD on 312 and Western Sydney LHD on 281.
A stay at home order was also issued on Saturday evening for anyone in New South Wales who has visited 11 LGAs in Queensland since July 21.
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The affected LGAs are: Brisbane City, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Gold Coast, Ipswich, Lockyer Valley Regional Council, Logan City, Noosa Shire Council, Redland City, Scenic Rim Regional Council, Somerset Regional Council, and Sunshine Coast Regional Council.
Anyone in the same household must also follow the stay at home rules and to only leave home with a reasonable excuse.
It comes as the state recorded 210 cases on Saturday, prompting Gladys Berejiklian to announce an entire stadium would be set up to help boost vaccination rates.
Greater Sydney and surrounding regions are in lockdown until at least August 28, as authorities battle to contain the Delta outbreak.
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