ANOTHER EIGHT new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in Tamworth in the latest daily update, including two mystery infections.
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One new case was clocked in the Gunnedah local government area, in Curlewis, and none were reported in the Liverpool Plains area, which includes Werris Creek.
Three of the new cases in the Tamworth area are in West Tamworth while the other five are in Tamworth.
The new Gunnedah case is linked to the town's single cluster, which seeded at an agricultural business, but cases where the source is unknown have cropped up in Tamworth.
"Some are linked with the family cluster, also linked to the Gunnedah workplace, but unfortunately two cases where the source is unknown," Hunter New England Health (HNEH) public health controller Dr David Durrheim said.
"This means we have missed a chain of transmission and it's likely that there are other cases in the community."
The isolation status of the new cases has not been confirmed yet, though at least some of the active cases in Tamworth were infectious while in the community.
It marks the most active cases that have ever been in the Tamworth region at once in the entire pandemic.
Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant urged anyone with even the mildest of symptoms in the Tamworth region to get tested for coronavirus.
There has also been positive sewage detections for the COVID-19 virus in both Wee Waa and Quirindi.
The new cases come on the same day the virus started to seep into local schools, with one public school shut down after a member of the school community tested positive to COVID-19.
A spokesperson from the NSW Department of Education confirmed Hillvue Public School closed immediately and was not operating on Friday as deep cleaning and contact tracing take place.
A new testing site has opened at Granny Munro Park in Coledale between 12pm and 2pm today in response.
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All staff and students of the public primary school on Hillvue Road have been asked to self isolate and follow advice from NSW Health.
Carinya school is also on alert - though no action is needed at this stage - after a parent of a Year 7 student tested positive to COVID-19.
Anyone that was there between 5:35pm and 5:50pm on Thursday, September 30, is considered to be a casual contact of a confirmed case, and must get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.
There has been no mention of a possible lockdown for Tamworth, though the Gunnedah local government are remains under stay at home orders until Monday.
HNEH district clocked a record 97 new cases in the latest daily update on Friday.
Testing has scaled up in Tamworth with a big jump from 381 tests taken on Monday to 1355 swabs the next day, according to HNEH.
A mass AstraZeneca vaccination hub will operate at the Tamworth Sports Dome from 9am tomorrow, and Pfizer doses are regularly available at GPs and the local hospital.
Testing in Tamworth:
NEW CLINIC: Granny Munro Park in Coledale, open from 12pm to 2pm today for walk-ins
Laverty Pathology Carter Street drive through at the Plain Street fields, no appointment required
Dean Street hospital clinic, at the HACC building, walk-ins accepted but bookings preferred on 1800 881 568
Tamworth Respiratory Clinic, book a time via HotDoc website or call 6768 3288
Douglas Hanly Moir pathology, booking required on 1800 026 622
All locations are open throughout the week and on Saturdays. The respiratory clinic and the drive-through screening site are also open on Sundays at the moment. Times are listed on the NSW Health website.
Additional testing in Gunnedah:
Pop-up testing clinic open over the weekend from 9am to 11am at the Rural Health Centre car park on Marquis Street. Bookings via 6741 8000
Laverty Pathology drive-through also available.
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