Statement released today by Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District Chief Executive Margot Mains

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) has continued to experience a steady increase in COVID positive cases in recent weeks, with numbers today exceeding 100 for the first time.

This has again prompted calls for the community, particularly in the Wollongong Local Government Area (LGA), to remain vigilant and to come forward for testing at the first sign of feeling unwell.

There are 103 new cases reported in the Illawarra Shoalhaven, bringing the total cases in the LHD to 1001 (since 16 June).

• 82 cases are from the Wollongong LGA. 18 are linked to known cases.

• 14 cases are from the Shellharbour LGA. 8 are linked to known cases.

• 5 cases are from the Shoalhaven LGA. 3 are linked to known cases.

• 2 cases are from the Kiama LGA. 2 are linked to known cases.

  The majority of cases in the Wollongong LGA are within the postcode areas of:

  • 2500 – 22 cases

  • 2502 – 16 cases

  • 2506 – 11 cases

  • 2518 – 7 cases

  • 2525 – 7 cases

  • 2530 – 7 cases

  • 2519 - 6 cases

The virus is mainly being transmitted via households, often cluster-style homes with communal areas and shared living spaces as part of the physical layout, where movement between homes is usual practice. These facilities are also home to communities of highly mobile residents.

The LHD continues to oversee the multi-agency response currently under way at an apartment building and accommodation facility in Wollongong, which have both been declared high-risk premises. This action has been taken to reinforce the requirements for self-isolation and enable this to occur in a safe and structured way. There are a total of 18 confirmed cases from these two venues.

Health clinicians and other support services will remain at both facilities during the ongoing isolation period. All residents are being closely monitored and appropriate care is being provided, including telehealth consultations, in-home medical care and transport to hospital if required. Residents also continue to receive ongoing care for pre-existing chronic health conditions, as well as social support including food supplies, personal hygiene and other essential items.

The Public Health Unit is closely monitoring cases in similar settings, should additional support also be required there.

Contact tracing and risk assessments continue to be undertaken to identify all close and casual contacts and any exposure sites that would be a risk to the community. Where potential contacts cannot be established, or there is an ongoing public health risk, the community will be notified of those venues via the District’s Facebook page and the NSW Government’s website.

Our staff continue to do a truly amazing job in what are very challenging circumstances. The community can be assured that our capacity to care for COVID patients has never been greater. At Wollongong Hospital we currently have capacity to care for up to 74 patients on the COVID Ward and up to 30 in the Intensive Care Unit.

In the past fortnight there have been more than 62,000 tests conducted across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven, 34,166 of those in the past seven days.

There are currently 32 COVID-19 testing clinics established across the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, including three pop-up drive-through clinics established in Gwynneville, Bellambi and Towradgi in recent days.

Visit the District’s website for a full list and updated opening hours and times. There are also more than 500 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW.

Anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough or shortness of breath, is urged to immediately get tested. Even people with mild symptoms, such as fatigue, new muscle aches or pains, a change in taste or smell or a new runny nose, should arrange testing as quickly as possible.

The community is also being reminded to come forward for vaccination as soon as possible (unless you are a case, contact of case, isolating or have symptoms). There are more than 200 NSW vaccination clinics and outreach locations across the state in addition to GPs and pharmacists. Check your eligibility at https://covid- vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/eligibility.

The LHD is providing significant vaccination outreach support to vulnerable or at-risk populations including our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, where more than 860 vaccines have been administered in the past week alone. Significant outreach clinics have also been provided to homeless and disadvantaged communities throughout the Illawarra and Shoalhaven.

This week, the Local Health District’s vaccination clinics surpassed 100,000 doses administered, including more than 20,000 in the past month alone.

I would like to again thank our amazing local community for the continued response to the call for increased testing and vaccination, for adhering to public health orders and for the ongoing support of our health care teams in these most challenging of times.

Anyone in the community with COVID-19 who is isolating at home is reminded they should call the public health unit on 1300 066 055 if they have any health concerns. Please call triple zero (000) in an emergency, including a deterioration in symptoms.