12 AUGUST 2021
ISSUE 022
REAL INDEPENDENT LOCAL WEEKLY NEWS
Virus creeps closer – sewage and supermarket exposure
News
The allocation of Council funds to upgrade Mount Ettalong lookout instead of prioritising road work has left some residents perplexed. See page 5
Out&About
Pearl Beach Arboretum has put the call out to members and participants to give their feedback on the event to help plan future experiences. See page 14
Business Coles supermarket Woy Woy was an exposure site on the morning of Monday, August 9
Residents have been asked to be on high alert after fragments of COVID-19 were detected at the Woy Woy Sewage Treatment Plant last week and a local supermarket was listed as an exposure site on Monday. According to the Coles website, Coles has been informed that a customer who has tested positive for COVID visited Coles Woy Woy supermarket between 8:35am and 8:55am on Monday, August 9. “In accordance with advice from NSW Health, all customers who were at the store during this time are asked to seek a COVID-19 test immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result,” Coles said. Additionally, NSW Health advises that if customers receive a negative test taken before August 14, they should wear a mask around others and limit their movement until receiving a second negative test result taken on August 14
or later. “Coles’ standard cleaning procedures comply with the Federal Government’s COVID-19 Hygiene Practices For Supermarkets and frequent cleaning and sanitisation has occurred in the time since the customer was last on site,” the supermarket said. The sewage sample was taken on Tuesday, August 3 at the sewage treatment plant which serves an area of about 41,000 people in suburbs including Woy Woy, Woy Woy Bay, Phegans Bay, Horsfield Bay, Blackwall, Booker Bay, Ettalong Beach, Umina Beach, Pearl Beach and Patonga. Central Coast Local Health District (CCLHD) initially said the detections were‘particularly concerning’ as they could indicate undetected, active COVID-19 cases in the catchment. It is important to note there are currently no known cases in these areas. Public Health Director at
CCLHD, Dr Kathryn Taylor, said there was only a low level of COVID-19 detected in the Woy Woy plant. “Sewage gives us a signal that something [is] going on in the area, and we can see trends in whether the amount of virus is increasing or decreasing or whether it’s a very low-level detection,” Taylor said. “A low-level detection is a once-off detection suggesting a visitor that’s come and gone or shedding at the tail end of their infection. “In Woy Woy I’m pleased to announce that the second sample was negative and the previous sample was a lowlevel detection so we’re not really sure what the explanation for that was but it has gone back to negative.” Taylor said that despite the negative sample on the Peninsula, all residents should remain vigilant and continue to come forward for testing. “We’re extremely concerned – if there’s just one undetected case in the community and that
goes on for a week or two weeks that could really quickly mushroom into [an] uncontrolled spread and we are unfortunately seeing the Hunter going through some of that pain,” she added. “I am very concerned about the situation and really urge people to take things seriously, stay at home, don’t mix with other people and get tested if you have even the slightest of symptoms. “Our community is quite connected to both Sydney and the Hunter and there are lots of essential workers who work in either area so it’s very difficult to put additional restrictions. “There’s uncontrolled spread in Sydney, we still have cases coming from Sydney on a regular basis so the people in the south also need to be alert. “We’ve done pretty well so far on the Coast, but we’re not an island.” A new list of exposure sites were confirmed by the health district this week after two new cases were discovered on the
Coast on Wednesday, August 11. CCLHD said there is no known link between the two cases, who are both currently in isolation, with the source of infection for these cases under investigation. There have now been 23 local cases of COVID-19 since the start of the current outbreak in June. Coles in Deepwater Plaza, Woy Woy has been identified as a COVID-19 exposure site, with anyone who visited the store on Monday, August 9, between 8:30am and 9am urged to immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received. Anyone who attended the following venues on the dates and times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received, even if you have had a test in recent days. If your date of exposure at this venue occurred in the past four Continued page 6
Combined land sale volumes across the Central Coast and Hunter regions declined by 23.55 per cent compared to the previous quarter. See page 21
Sport
Tascott’s Nicola McDermott made her mark on Tokyo 2020 on Saturday evening with a 2.02 metre score in the Women’s High Jump Final to secure the silver medal and set her third Australian record for the year, all within four months. See page 32
Puzzles page 18
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