Today, another nine new cases of Covid were reported in the Lismore Local Government Area. These were among the 96 new cases reported in the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD).

None of the cases are the Omicron variant and there is now one COVID-positive patient in hospital in Northern NSW. 

Of the 96 new cases across LGAs, 57 are in Byron, 18 in Ballina, 8 in Tweed and 4 in Clarence Valley.

NNSWLHD chief executive Wayne Jones said the most common locations for transmission of COVID-19 in our region continue to be pubs, parties and gatherings in indoor spaces.  

“We encourage people to celebrate the end of year outdoors where possible, and to stay home if you are unwell, get a test, and isolate until a negative result is received,” he said.

Hospital restrictions

With increasing transmission rates across NSW, hospitals and health facilities within Northern NSW Local Health District are now restricting all visitors.  

Women accessing birthing services can continue to nominate one support person (participant in care) during her labour, birth and post-birth.

Local exemptions will be considered on a case by cases basis by site management, and consideration will be given to compassionate and palliative care circumstances.  

You can also find information about visitor restrictions on our website at: https://nnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/about/important-updates-for-visitors/ 

Updated advice for people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 

Updates have been made to fact sheets following the easing of restrictions:

• Close contacts of COVID-19 (nsw.gov.au) 

• Confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 

• Casual contacts are no longer identified. 

Mr Jones said NSW Health is evolving contact tracing and is prioritising case interviews and detailed follow up with people diagnosed with COVID-19 who have been to a place where there are people at high risk of severe disease, such as in healthcare, aged care, disability care, Aboriginal people and communities, and correctional facilities. 

He said the updated fact sheets advise cases and close contacts of what steps they need to follow, including advice to prompt their social contacts to be tested. 

Exposure risk assessments in all other settings, like workplaces, are managed by those venues directly. Step-by-step instructions for businesses can be found via the NSW Health website.

Please book your COVID-19 vaccination, or booster if you are eligible, at any of the many GPs, Pharmacies and NSW Health clinics in the region. You can find your closest clinic at the Australian Government’s COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder.