Riverina's COVID death toll grows, Wagga residents among 25 new cases

The Mercy Place residents, aged in their 80s and 90s respectively, succumbed to the virus after contracting their infections there. There has now been eight deaths linked to an outbreak at that facility.

"The Murrumbidgee LHD wishes to express its deepest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones impacted," the organisation said on Monday morning.

The younger woman has received one dose of a vaccine, while the other was double-dosed.

Of the 25 cases detected in the 24 hours to 8pm Sunday, 20 of them are residents of the Albury local government area [LGA].

In other news

Two Wagga residents have tested positive for the virus, as has one person in each of the Griffith, Edward River and the Federation LGAs.

Eleven people in the region have now died in this COVID outbreak.

The MLHD is currently caring for 149 COVID patients across the district, and just four are being treated in hospital.

There is no one in the intensive care unit with COVID, the MLHD said.

The remaining patients are being cared for at home, split between teams in the MLHD and at Western Sydney Hospital.

The Riverina's fight against the outbreak has been bolstered by a 97 per cent first vaccination rate, well past the state's 93.9 per cent as of Monday.

"Of those aged 12-15 in the Murrumbidgee LHD, 80.2 per cent have received their first dose and 58.3 per cent are fully vaccinated," the MLHD said.

"In the Albury LGA, where we are managing our current outbreak, 80.5 per cent have received a first dose and 46.9 per cent are fully vaccinated.

"This means that 96 per cent of eligible residents aged 12 and above in MLHD have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine and 86.9 per cent are fully vaccinated."

NSW recorded seven deaths and 187 new cases on Sunday, NSW Health announced on Monday morning.

Sewage surveillance testing has returned positive results in the Riverina over the weekend, with pings at Albury, Wagga, Young and Griffith.

Anyone with even the mildest symptoms, or has recently experience them, is urged to come forward for testing.

The interstate, trans-Tasman situation

People in Griffith can get tested daily at the MLHD testing clinic at 50-52 Yambil Street between 9.30am and 1.30pm, or at the Laverty drive-through clinic at Griffith Showground from 8am Monday to Saturday.

Testing in Wagga remains available at the MLHD's Murray Street testing clinic between 9am and 4pm daily, at Laverty Pathology's drive-through site in the Riverina Playhouse car park off Tarcutta and Cross streets from 8am daily, and at the GP-led respiratory clinic at Glenrock in Glenfield Park between 9am and 5pm weekdays.

For further testing locations across the district go to www.mlhd.health.nsw.gov.au, or for help accessing a test call the Murrumbidgee COVID-19 Hotline 1800 831 099.

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