TWO POSITIVE cases of COVID-19 have now been confirmed in the Dubbo Regional Council area, resulting in the area entering a seven-day snap lockdown and stay-at-home orders in place for local residents and anyone who has visited since Sunday 1 August.

The lockdown, which comes into effect from 1pm today (Wednesday 11 August) has been backdated to 1 August and will remain in place until Thursday 19 August.

According to NSW Health, both cases are members of the same household - one confirmed last night and a second this morning - and will be included in tomorrow's numbers of positive cases in NSW.

Several venues of concern have been identified since the detection of these cases, with the potential of further sites and more details being added as investigations continue.

Known exposure sites

Anyone who was at the following venues on the dates and during the times listed is urged to immediately get tested and self-isolate until you receive further advice from NSW Health:

• Don Crosby Veterinary Surgery, 327 Darling Street Dubbo. 7 August 8:57am to 9:45am
• The Harvest Café, 64 Palmer Street Dubbo. 7 August 9:52am to 10.10am
• Ashcrofts IGA, 95 Tamworth Street Dubbo. 8 August 12:35 to 12:52pm
• Tim Koerstz Pharmacy, 98 Tamworth Street Dubbo. 9 August 1pm to 1.15pm
• Covid Safe Clinic, 77 Myall Street Dubbo. 10 August 7:45am to 8:35am

Click here to find a link to the latest list of Case Locations and Alerts.

In a press conference at Dubbo earlier today, Western NSW Local Health District (WNSWLHD) Chief Executive Scott McLachlan confirmed the stay at home orders are much the same as those that apply in areas like Newcastle, Tamworth, Armadale and Greater Sydney.

He said everyone in the Dubbo Local Government Areas - including Wellington, Wongarbon, Geurie, Brocklehurst, Stuart Town, Mumbil and Eumungerie - will be required to follow these stay-at-home orders.

Residents will only be allowed to leave their homes for essential work, education, shopping or healthcare reasons.

Residents also cannot have social visitors in their home from outside their household, including family and friends.

People still can have one visitor at one time to fulfil carers' responsibilities or provide care or assistance, or for compassionate reasons, including where two people are in a relationship but do not live together.

People also cannot enter or leave the Dubbo LGA without a reasonable excuse to do so. In the former instance, travelling into the town solely for testing or vaccination is permitted under the Public Health Orders.

Dubbo residents - and those who have been in the area since 1 August - are also urged to limit their movements in the community at this time and to come forward for testing for even the mildest of symptoms.

For more detail on the Stay at Home rules click here.

Testing

Additional testing capacity is available today at the Dubbo Showground drive through clinic; the COVID SAFE testing clinic at the Manera Plaza, 77 Myall Street until 4.30pm and at the Wellington Health Service until 3pm (enter via Gisborne Street).

Testing for COVID-19 is already available in all Western Plains LGAs. Visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/health-and-wellbeing/clinics to find your nearest testing clinic, their opening times and how to book an appointment if necessary.

Widespread community testing is essential at this time and due to demand substantial waits at all sites are expected. People are asked to be patient, and remain calm and respectful to staff at the testing sites.

Bathurst waiting while Mudgee gets a reprieve

The WNSWLHD has also confirmed the detection of fragments of COVID-19 in a sewage sample taken in Bathurst on 9 August.

This means that a person who has COVID-19, or who has recently had COVID-19, has been in that community around that date. Additional testing capacity is in place at the Mount Panorama testing site. This is the first sewage detection in Bathurst.

A sewage sample taken in Mudgee on 9 August has not detected any further fragments of COVID-19. This comes after detections on sample taken on 4 August.

However, Mr McLachlan said this does not mean the virus has left the Mudgee community and additional testing remains available at the Australian Rural Education Centre at 267 Ulan Road until Friday.

For additional information and useful links about COVID-19 in NSW, click here.