ORGANISERS of the NRL clash in Tamworth last month are "over the moon" that no confirmed COVID-19 cases had been linked to the game, almost three weeks on.
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Wests League Club chief executive officer Rod Laing told the Leader he was confident in the various health precautions taken, but it was a relief to pass the 14-day mark with no confirmed virus cases linked to the clash.
He said the club was thrilled at the success of the event.
"Look, we're over the moon, and it was the work that we put into it," he said.
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The game was played between the NZ Warriors and the Knights at Tamworth's Scully Park on the afternoon of August 29.
One full incubation period for COVID-19 is two weeks, so Mr Laing said passing that milestone at the weekend gave organisers, staff and patrons confidence it was a COVID-safe event.
"You could breathe again, there's no doubt about that," he said. "It was a relief, it reinforces that we opted in on procedures that were over and above what was required of us ... to ensure that we had a safe event."
Hunter New England Health (HNEH) public health physician Dr David Durrheim said he would feel more reassured once two incubation periods - or four weeks - had passed.
Mr Laing said although hosting such an "unusual" event would not be sustainable all the time, it showed some events could come back to the region. He said managing health measures could "set up" the club to host another game next season or maybe even an outdoor concert over summer.
Dr Durrheim warned events can't come back to the regions safely until the virus stops circulating in Sydney.
HNEH has been conducting sewage testing and set up a pop up COVID clinic as part of their response to the game.
Anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms in Tamworth is being urged by authorities to seek out a COVID-19 swab by contacting their GP.