In good news for our region, there are no new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in residents of Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD).

But, it’s a different story across the rest of NSW, with a new record high of 1,431 Covid cases reported yesterday.

Twelve deaths were also reported, including a Sydney woman in her 30s who died at home after being tested for Covid the previous day. She was not vaccinated.

At the NSW Covid update conference today, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she expects the next two weeks will see this outbreak peak across NSW.

“The next fortnight is likely to be our worst in terms of the number of cases," she said.

"September and October will be the most challenging because we will be dealing with extra hospitalisations and extra ICU hospitalisations.

"But we're also going through both the exciting but challenging time of opening up."

Ms Berejiklian said she understood there were issues with having enough vaccine supplies to get everyone vaccinated.

“We are working with the Prime Minister day and night to get more,” she said.

Local testing rates down

In the Northern Rovers area, NNSWLHD Acting Chief Executive, Lynne Weir reported that last week (August 22-28), there were 6,712 Covid tests conducted among local residents – it was less than the previous week’s numbers of more than 10,000 tests.

Ms Weir urged people to continue to come forward for testing if they have even mild symptoms.  

“When it comes to helping us find and respond to any new cases, testing is our best method,” she said. “High rates of testing are critical to detecting transmission and preventing further spread of COVID-19 in the community. 

“If you are thinking it might be better to wait out symptoms, and see what else happens around you before deciding to get a test, please don’t wait.”

“Like any health issue, it’s easier to treat and manage COVID-19, the quicker you receive a diagnosis, so we really encourage people to get tested quickly if they do feel unwell.” 

Symptoms of COVID-19 can include a runny nose, scratchy or sore throat, cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache, tiredness, loss of taste or smell, nausea, diarrhoea or muscle aches. 

There are more than 475 COVID-19 testing clinics across NSW. To find one near you, visit

The District urges those eligible in the community to continue to come fNo cases in Lismore, but NSW records a new record highorward for vaccination. Please check your eligibility and book at https://www.health.gov.au/.