Officials from the Western NSW Local Health District have announced exactly how the latest NSW Health orders announced over the weekend will affect local health services.

Chief Executive Scott McLachlan said the health orders, which are in place from 6pm on Saturday 26 June until 11.59pm on Friday, 9 July 2021 are to prevent the further escalation of the situation in Sydney and ensure the safety of everyone in NSW and the Western District was taking them very seriously.

“Under the health orders, everyone in an indoors, non-residential setting must wear a face mask," Mr McLachlan said.

"That includes all our hospitals, Multipurpose Services (MPS), community and dental health services and other local health district workplaces. Most health services, including elective surgery, are operating as usual. We will continue to conduct temperature checking and screening on everyone entering our services.

According to Mr McLachlan, stay-at-home anyone who has returned from Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast Wollongong and Shellharbour areas, since 21 June must also self-isolate for 14 days from the time they left those locations, except for limited essential reasons.

He said a wide range of other measures are now in place across the whole of NSW and everyone to visit the NSW government's website to ensure they understand those restrictions.

“In our District, we have also decided to limit visitors to aged care residents in our MPS facilities to essential care providers only - MPS visitors should talk to their local health service manager before visiting to avoid any confusion," he said.

“We hope that these are temporary measures, but for now our number one concern is to keep our health facilities safe for patients, residents, staff and visitors.

“I can’t emphasise it strongly enough that this is time for us all to make sure we’re practising the best possible hand cleaning, maintaining physical distancing, checking in and out of venues, and getting onto organising a vaccination appointment if you haven’t already.”

Mr McLachlan also cautiously welcomed news that subsequent sewage testing in Bourke had not detected further evidence of COVID-19. It comes after a samples taken last week indicated a person recently in Bourke had COVID-19.

“We are still encouraging everyone in the community, and recent visitors, to be alert for any cold-like symptoms, even if they’re mild, and to be tested if they occur. Testing is available at Davidson Oval until 4pm today and from 9am to 1pm tomorrow,” he said.

All testing locations in NSW are listed at www.nsw.gov.au. Symptoms associated with COVID-19 include fever, cough, breathing difficulties, sore throat, loss of smell or taste, runny nose, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. For more information on COVID-19 vaccination visit www.healthdirect.gov.au