Hunter New England Health announced they are now providing care and support to five additional people confirmed to have COVID-19.
- A female in her 50s and a male in his 60s are in home isolation after recently returning from Italy
- A female in her 20s is in home isolation after recently returning from a Pacific cruise
- A male in his 70s is in home isolation; he is a relative of a previously reported confirmed case of COVID-19
- A female in her late teens is in home isolation after recently returning from Canada.
This brings the total number of Cases of COVID-19 in the Hunter New England area to 18.
HNEH says health staff continue to undertake daily wellness checks with all confirmed cases in the District and is contacting close contacts of the new cases, who are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days from last contact and will be contacted every day to check that they are well and will be tested for the infection if they develop symptoms.
A fourth drive through COVID-19 clinic has also been opened at Belmont Hospital, where people can be screened via phone on 4923 2211 between 8am-4pm, seven days a week, before presenting.
The Belmont Hospital COVID-19 clinic joins those already operating at John Hunter, Maitland and Calvary Mater Newcastle hospitals.
Public Health Physician Dr Tony Merritt says, “I understand there are concerns out in the community about the location of people confirmed to have COVID-19. These are challenging and confronting times, and I understand people’s desire to know as much as they can to best protect themselves against this virus."
“You can rest assured that anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 and their close contacts are either being treated in hospital or are in self-isolation to ensure there is no ongoing risk of infection to others in the community," Dr Merritt says.
“Locations where these people with COVID-19 live, work or have visited do not pose any ongoing risk to the public. And it’s important that we respect their privacy while they recover. Those in self-isolation are doing a great service for our community; it’s them that will make the biggest difference in slowing the spread of this virus."
“I want to assure the community that as we have done over the past weeks, and in line with national protocols, we will let the community know of any public locations where there has been a known risk of infection. This is so you can monitor symptoms and seek medical assistance if you become unwell."
“As the number of cases in our District continues to rise, I want to stress how important it is for everyone to do their bit. Wash your hands regularly, cover coughs and sneezes, maintain social distancing and stay home if you’re unwell."
