COVID-positive Albury man in ICU to be moved to Melbourne, third Albury exposure site listed

The middle-aged man is one of two positive cases in the Border city announced yesterday, but has returned to the region on Thursday.

He will be moved to Melbourne later on Thursday.

The second Albury case was confirmed by Murrumbidgee Local Health District public health director Tracey Oakman as a passenger on the XPT from Sydney to Albury on Sunday, September 12.

"In the Albury region we have two positive COVID cases who are isolating and being cared for in our region at this current point, locally.

"We also have a positive in our sewerage testing this morning, but that's a surprise with the two cases in our region.

"It is a timely warning for everyone that we do have COVID-positive people in our region and we need to be vigilant.

"If anyone has any symptoms at all, please get a test. Testing clinics are open through the week at both Albury and Wodonga.

"Don't blame hay fever if you've got a runny nose, get tested just to make sure you don't have COVID."

A third Albury exposure site was confirmed by Ms Oakman on Thursday morning with anyone who attended the Lavington BP service station on Travelstop Way on September 8 between 7.30pm and 8pm is urged to get tested.

Albury-Wodonga Health CEO Michael Kalimnios said a host of North East business have had contact with COVID-positive truck drivers, but haven't been declared official exposure sites.

"We're working with GV Health and all the contact tracing was completed yesterday," he said.

"Because NSW and Victoria have been in lockdown, there's very minimal public exposure."

As a result of the two positive cases, Albury will go into a seven-day lockdown from 6pm on Thursday.

Mr Kalimnios didn't make any suggestion whether Wodonga and the North East should follow suit with Albury's lockdown.

"It's the nature of the Border community we have, but it's going to be a decision for the government to make and we'll need to manage it as it comes," he said.

"It will be unfortunate, challenging and everyone in the Border community knows the difficulties we face, which are somewhat unique in this part of the world, but we'll see how that transpires of the next few days."

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