The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Nambucca Heads/Valla area has now risen to three, according to the data released by NSW Health.
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There is one confirmed case in the Macksville area but none so far around Bowraville.
To the south, Kempsey has four confirmed cases and Port Macquarie 29.
To the north, Coffs Harbour has 13 and Bellingen LGA still only one.
As of yesterday (Monday) a number of new areas have been identified for increased testing and surveillance.
These include Port Macquarie and Lake Macquarie, as well as Byron Bay. Broken Hill is also on the list.
This follows the expansion of testing criteria on March 31 to recommend testing of individual patients with symptoms or fever suspected to have COVID-19:
- who live in communities with local transmission, see Areas for increased testing and surveillance
- who self-identify as Aboriginal in rural and remote communities
- who have been referred by their GP or public health unit to a COVID-19 clinic for testing
- whose clinician, after taking a full history, has reason to suspect that the patient may have COVID-19.
Restrictions on gathering and movement intorduced by the NSW Minister for Helath, Brad Hazzard on March 30 state that:
A person must not, without reasonable excuse, leave the person's place of residence. Examples of a reasonable excuse include leaving for reasons involving:
- obtaining food or other goods and services
- travelling for the purposes of work or education not able to be done at home
- exercise
- medical or caring reasons.
In addition, this Order directs that a person must not participate in a gathering in a public place of more than TWO persons.
Exceptions include:
- gatherings of members of the same household
- gatherings essential for work or education.
Recent new exceptions include:
- to enable truck drivers and their passengers to use facilities at truck stops
- to exclude persons involved in conducting a funeral from the 10-person limit for funeral services
- to enable services at places of worship to be streamed or otherwise recorded
- to enable caravan parks and camping grounds to be used by overnight travellers, persons working in the local area and persons whose primary places of residence are temporarily unavailable
- to enable an auction for food supply or a fibre or crop auction to be conducted (whether indoors or outdoors).
Failing to comply with a direction now carries a maximum penalty of imprisonment for six months or a fine of up to $11,000 (or both) plus a further $5500 fine each day the offence continues.
Corporations that fail to comply with a direction are liable to a fine of $55,000 and $27,500 each day the offence continues.