23 October 2020

Southern NSW the only regional area with active COVID-19 cases outside of Sydney

| Hannah Sparks
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Nurse applying face mask.

Two people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the Goulburn area. Photo: SJ Objio.

Southern NSW is now the only regional area outside of Sydney with active COVID-19 cases following two positive test results in Goulburn Mulwaree.

The two people who tested positive for COVID-19 were living together, according to the Southern NSW Local Health District.

The first person to test positive from Goulburn Mulwaree in the past two weeks was a close contact of a Sydney case reported on 7 October. The second person then caught COVID-19 while living with the first person.

NSW Health doesn’t reveal the exact location of the confirmed cases due to privacy reasons.

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Both were in isolation during their infectious period and while neither person is considered to be infectious any more, they are considered to be an active case if they are still displaying symptoms of the virus such as shortness of breath or a cough.

There are no active cases of COVID-19 in any other regional areas outside of Sydney, including the southern NSW shires of Bega Valley, Eurobodalla, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Snowy Monaro, Upper Lachlan and Yass Valley.

However, since 27 January, southern NSW has had 64 confirmed cases from 51,170 tests.

Testing facilities are still available at Goulburn Base Hospital, Queanbeyan District Hospital, Tumut District Hospital, Crookwell District Hospital, Cootamundra Hospital, Young Laverty Pathology Drive-Through Clinic and Yass Drive-Through Clinic.

Overall, the total number of COVID-19 cases has dropped in NSW in the past two weeks.

In the past week, NSW reported 41 new cases, with 11 of those acquired locally and 30 acquired overseas.

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The total number of cases in NSW since the pandemic began now stands at 4174. Of those, 55 people have died.

A week ago, the NSW Government approved an exemption for gatherings of up to 100 people at Remembrance Day services across NSW.

The one-off exemption to the public health order increases the current restrictions from 20 people to 100 people to gather at community war memorials, provided they adhere to social distancing measures and have a COVID-19 safety plan in place.

Member for Goulburn Wendy Tuckerman said the easing of restrictions to public gatherings for Remembrance Day means wreath-laying ceremonies and other memorial services can take place for people to pay their respects.

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