Murrumbidgee Local Health District can confirm a traveller who passed through Narrandera last week has tested positive for COVID-19.  

The traveller stopped at the Gillenbah Caltex, just south of Narrandera on the Newell Highway between 10.30 am and 11.00 am on Tuesday, June 1.

Anyone who was at this venue on this day is considered a close contact and must immediately get tested and self-isolate until further advice is received from NSW Health.  

The Laverty Pathology Testing Clinic located at the Gillenbah Caltex will be open for testing every day from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm. No appointment necessary. No referral required.  

In addition, MLHD is calling for anyone who has even the mildest symptoms to come forward for testing. The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, sore throat and dry cough.  

Members of the public are advised to minimise travel, increase personal awareness around hand hygiene and practice social distancing. Detecting the virus early is a critical to keeping our community safe, and preventing further spread of COVID-19.  

“Once people are identified as being positive, we undertake contact tracing to identify anyone that they may have come in contact with. People with COVID-19 can become very unwell quickly, and we need ensure people get the appropriate care so that they have the best chance of recovery,” said MLHD COVID-19 Coordinator Emma Field.  

Last week, a number of exposure sites were listed for the Gundagai area. MLHD quickly deployed the Mobile COVID Testing Clinic to enable local people to come forward for testing. Over 250 people presented for testing, all have returned a negative result. 

Ms Field thanked the community for their responsiveness in getting tested and said the response in Gundagai was reflected across the region. 

“We saw an increase in testing across all of the testing clinics, Wagga Wagga, Griffith, Cootamundra, Deniliquin, Leeton and Hay. In all there were over 900 tests completed by MLHD last week,” she said.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics have also experienced a significant increase in vaccinations over the past week with 1,700 doses, both Pfizer and AstraZeneca completed, an increase of 270 on the previous week.  

“The COVID-19 vaccination is just one part of our defence against this virus,” said Ms Field.

“We remind people in the community to continue to exercise all the COVID safe practices including hand hygiene, physical distancing and getting tested if they are unwell. 

“Even if you have the mildest of symptoms, a sniffle or a cough, please come forward for testing.” 

MLHD testing clinics are based in Cootamundra, Griffith, Hay, Leeton and Wagga Wagga. These clinics are available by appointment made through the COVID-19 Hotline on 1800 831 099. They are free and completely confidential.