COVID fragments detected in Bega sewage plant

MEDIA RELEASE 2021 - NSW Health has advised that fragments of the COVID-19 virus have been detected at the Bega sewage treatment plant.

2 September 2021

NSW Health has advised that fragments of the COVID-19 virus have been detected at the Bega sewage treatment plant.

Bega Valley Shire Mayor, Russell Fitzpatrick said undetected COVID-19 cases within the Bega Valley Shire remain a strong possibility.

“The detection of virus fragments at the Bega and Merimbula sewage treatment plants within a space of two weeks is of growing concern,” Cr Fitzpatrick said.

“If you live in Bega, Merimbula, Pambula or any area bordering these towns, and you have the slightest hint of cold-like symptoms, get tested. It’s the only way we will work through this as a community.

“This means if you are experiencing symptoms such as headache, nausea, sore throat, runny nose, cough, loss of smell or taste, or fever, you should be getting tested and you need to isolate until a negative result is received.

“Since the virus fragments were first detected in Merimbula, the number of people getting tested remains low.

“There is much speculation about where these fragments have come from, but the fact remains that if we want to know if there are COVID-19 cases in the Bega Valley Shire, we need to get ourselves tested.”

The Bega sewage treatment plant serves approximately 4,200 people in Bega and parts of North Bega.

Council is sending samples from the sewage treatment plants in Eden, Bermagui, Merimbula and Bega, twice weekly to NSW Health for testing.

South East Regional Hospital’s COVID-19 drive through testing clinic is open Monday to Sunday from 8am to 4pm.

For the latest COVID-19 updates and advice, please go to www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19

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