Dozens of new COVID cases have been detected in the Murrumbidgee Local Health District and a new community is on alert after sewage surveillance returned positive results for the virus.
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Thirty more Albury residents, including two at a private care facility, have been diagnosed with COVID-19, accounting for the majority of the 35 cases found in the MLHD in the 24 hours to 8pm Thursday.
The Federation and Greater Hume local government areas [LGAs] each recorded two new detections, while one more case is a resident of the Murray River region.
In other news
A staff member of Greater Hume Council has tested positive to COVID, the organisation announced, and the Culcairn office has closed for cleaning on Friday.
"The staff member last worked at the Culcairn office on Monday and Tuesday, however the staff member has not had any contact with members of the public at the Culcairn office and therefore members of the public would be at very low risk," the council has advised.
"Members of the public that visited Council's Culcairn office on Monday or Tuesday should monitor for symptoms and if displayed get tested immediately."
More than 340 cases and another five deaths were announced for NSW on Friday morning.
Sewage surveillance has returned positive results at Leeton, Boorowa, Albury and Mulwala in the last 24 hours, the MLHD confirmed as it renews calls for the community to come forward for testing.
There are no known cases in Leeton and Boorowa.
The new detections come the day after the region's worst tally of the pandemic, when 51 cases were found across the MLHD.
The virus has taken a strong hold in Albury and the Border, with 150 cases in the Albury LGA alone. Sixteen schools have been impacted by closures and exposures.
However, a lockdown is not on the immediate horizon, the member for Albury Justin Clancy said on Thursday.
The interstate, trans-Tasman situation
"I'm not aware of a NSW lockdown for our community at this stage," he said.
"Given the number of lockdowns we've witnessed I know it's not without trepidation that we experience a breakout of COVID and we rely chiefly on vaccinations as a means of getting through this breakout."
A lockdown decision, if one is made, will come via NSW's chief health officer Kerry Chant.
Travel in and out of the Albury area for recreational purposes while COVID is spreading in the community is highly discouraged, the MLHD's director of medical services has declared.
"It would be prudent to [restrict] travel to that area to essential travel, especially if you're not vaccinated," Dr Len Bruce warned.
"We would advise people to reconsider if they have to go there."
More on the pandemic:
The following sites have been listed as venues of concern this week. Some had been previously identified, however new timeframes have emerged.
Anyone who has been at the venues at the specified times must seek a coronavirus test and isolate until a negative result is returned.
Albury
Albury Entertainment Centre, 525 Swift Street
- October 17: 11.45am to 2.15pm on October 17
Cafe Dalchini, 451 Dean Street
October 17: 5.25pm to 6.25pm
Carv'n It Up, 2/617 Young Street
October 13: 6.30pm to 7.45pm on October 13
Regent Cinemas Albury, 456 Dean Street
- October 17: 6.30pm to 7.45pm
Whitehouse Motorcycles, 523 Young Street
- October 13: 4.15pm to 5.15pm
- October 14: 2.35pm to 3.45pm, 3.15pm to 4.15pm
Albury Eye Clinic, 1/669 Dean Street
- October 11: 3.15pm to 4.30pm
APCO, 997 Mate Street
- October 16: 10am to 11.30am
Bunnings, corner Borella Road and Drome Street
- October 14: 2.10pm to 1pm
- October 11: 1pm to 8.45pm
Chemist Warehouse, 483 Olive Street
- October 16: 10.30am to 6.30pm
Connor Albury, West End Plaza
- October 14: 2.15pm to 2.15pm
Dan Murphy's, 428-432 Dean Street
- October 14: 7.10pm to 2pm
- October 10: 12.40pm to 1pm
Service NSW, 520 Smollett Street
- October 13: 2.45pm to 9.15pm
Services Australia (Centrelink), 430 Wilson Street
- October 13: 10.30am to 1.45pm
The Proprietor, 459 Townsend Street
- October 14: 10.30am to 11.15am
Lavington
Muffin Break, 351 Griffith Road
- October 15: 4.35pm to 5.10pm
Springdale Heights Tavern, 330 Kaitlers Road
- October 9: 5.15pm to 6.15pm
Albury Waste Management Centre, 565 Mudge Street
- October 15: 8.25am to 2.50pm
Coles, Griffith Road and Urana Road
- October 14: 10.25am to 4pm
- October 11: 1pm to 1.15pm
- October 10: 8.15pm to 9.15pm
Mayo's Chemmart Pharmacy, 3/330 Urana Road
- October 11: 1pm to 7.40pm
Woolworths, 337-363 Griffith Road
- October 13: 10.55am to 12pm
- October 12: 9am to 9.30am, 11am to 12.15pm on October 12, 9.10 to 9.53pm
- October 11: 4.45pm to 5.45pm
Barham
Australia Post, 35 Murray Street
- October 12: 10.45am to 11.15am
Barham Hotel Bottle Shop, 34 Murray Street
- October 8: 6.15pm to 12.15pm
IGA Barham, 33 Murray Street
- October 12: 10am to 2.30pm
- October 11: 9.30am to 11.10am
- October 9: 1.45pm to 5.05pm
- October 7: 10.45am to 2.45pm
Mellool Street Footwear
- October 12: 1.30pm to 3.35pm
Royal Hotel Barham
- October 13: 6.15pm to 5.20pm
Common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose and loss of taste or smell.
Other symptoms include fatigue, acute blocked nose (congestion), muscle pain, joint pain, headache, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting, loss of appetite, unexplained chest pain and conjunctivitis.
Testing locations can be found at mlhd.health.nsw.gov.au or by calling the Murrumbidgee COVID-19 hotline on 1800 831 099.
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