The Murrumbidgee Local Health District has confirmed the COVID-19 case that led to potential exposure sites being identified in the northern Riverina falls under a neighbouring jurisdiction and is not an MLHD case.
The revelation means there are no cases in the MLHD and the health district remains one of only two across the state that have not recorded a locally-acquired COVID-19 case in the four weeks to 8pm on Sunday, according to NSW Health.
The MLHD has not had a locally-acquired coronavirus case for more than a year.
Northern NSW, which includes Lismore and Byron, is the other local health district without a recorded case.
The Murrumbidgee's most recent COVID scare was revealed in the form of an alert issued on Saturday morning, after the MLHD was notified that a woman had visited a number of locations in Lake Cargelligo and Hillston while infectious on August 16.
The woman, a resident of the Lachlan Shire, was not symptomatic during her visit to the towns and it is understood she came forward for testing as soon as symptoms developed. She is now isolating outside the MLHD.
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The MLHD's director of public health, Tracey Oakman, confirmed on Monday that the woman was not included in the Murrumbidgee's case numbers.
"They're being looked after by Western [NSW] Local Health District and that has currently gone into their data," Ms Oakman said.
Only a small part of the Lachlan Shire, which includes Lake Cargelligo, sits within the MLHD coverage area.
Lake Cargelligo is in the MLHD's jurisdiction but Ms Oakman said the Lachlan Shire "straddles" both the MLHD and neighbouring Western NSW Local Health District, which has "taken ownership" of the case.
When asked if cases were reflected in the data for the health district they lived in, Ms Oakman said "generally, yes". "They're also in a region where there is a local government area that straddles two districts, so it's a bit of a tricky situation with the Lake Cargelligo region and so Western [NSW LHD] has taken ownership of that case because of both of those reasons," she said.
The infectious woman made brief visits to four businesses in Lake Cargelligo and Hillston on August 16.
Hundreds of people in both towns have since come forward for testing, which Ms Oakman said was "a really big turnout" given the size of the communities.
All the tests have so far come back negative.
When asked if the statewide lockdown measures - which came into effect two days before the woman's visits - helped prevent more people being exposed, Ms Oakman said "absolutely".
"The lockdown measures meant that there were less people in those shops and in those venues than normal - the people who own those places have said that to us, so that is evidence, I guess, that it has reduced the risk, absolutely," she said.
The woman also used QR codes to check-in at the venues and Ms Oakman encouraged others to continue to do the same, to aid the contact-tracing process.
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Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
