A ninth person was confirmed positive for COVID-19 last night in the Mid North Coast Local Health District.
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A woman in her 60s is in home isolation after returning from overseas
Close contacts of the new case have been identified and asked to self-isolate for 14 days. They will be contacted daily to check that they are well and any contact who develops COVID-19 symptoms will be tested for the virus.
Local Health District authorities have confirmed they "will not be disclosing specific location information of confirmed COVID-19 cases".
"A public health alert may be issued if additional information needs to be shared in relation to specific gatherings, events or geographical locations."
ASSESSMENT CLINICS NOW OPEN
The Mid North Coast Local Health District (MNCLHD) has opened COVID-19 assessment clinics at Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour and Kempsey.
Chief Executive Stewart Dowrick said the clinics are recommended for anyone returning from overseas who develop symptoms within 14 days of their return, people who have had close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case and develop symptoms within 14 days of last contact.
Testing is also recommended for people admitted to hospital with severe respiratory infection, even if they haven't returned from overseas travel, and for healthcare workers who have a respiratory illness or fever. Current government advice is that people without symptoms do not need to be tested.
"It is vital that these COVID-19 assessment clinics are not overwhelmed with people who are not in the high risk groups, which could result in delays identifying those most vulnerable," Mr Dowrick said.
"We are continuing to do everything we can to keep our staff, patients and the community safe."
The assessment clinics are open at:
Port Macquarie Base Hospital, 10am to 4pm weekdays
Coffs Harbour Health Campus, 10am to 2pm weekdays
Kempsey District Hospital, 8am to 12noon weekdays.
Outside of these hours, people who are unwell should present to their local Emergency Department.
In Port Macquarie and Kempsey, the clinics can be accessed via the hospital Emergency Departments. In Coffs Harbour, the clinic is open in the specialist on-call parking area near the Emergency Department.
For more details, call the MNCLHD Assessment Clinic Hotline on 1300 001 956.
A collaborative effort by the private medical and health practitioners across the Bellingen Shire has also resulted in the establishment of a dedicated COVID-19 testing clinic there.
In the absence of government funding, medical practitioners drew on their own resources to get the clinic operational.
This drive-through clinic, situated in the former Bellorana Aged Care Facility in Watson Street Bellingen, officially opened yesterday.
This makes the Nambucca Valley the only local government area in our health district to not have a dedicated assessment centre for coronavirus.