Testing centres 'are adequate', families asked to wait for info

Despite significant demands on testing clinics, Murrumbidgee Local Health District says facilities are adequate and urged families not to seek testing until their child's status as a close or casual contact is known.

Public health director Tracey Oakman said schools would send an initial letter to families telling them to 'stop and stay', but further information about the need for students to be tested or not would then come.

"What we don't want is the entire school population going to a testing clinic," she said.

"Be patient and stay at home until you get that information from your schools, as to whether you're a close contact or not and then follow that guidance.

"The schools are never left to their own devices, they're always supported."

Albury mayor Kevin Mack also indicated testing clinics were being unnecessarily burdened.

"If you have no symptoms and you haven't been advised by the medical authorities or the schools to get tested, don't," he said.

"I believe right now we've got adequate testing facilities and the resources that have been on-boarded ... are satisfactory right now to do the job, so let's not panic.

"The government have been consulted ... they are taking it seriously as they did in Sydney.

"And the message is, for 12 to 15 year olds, let's get their vaccinations done."

No bookings are needed at a pop-up vaccination clinic at the Albury Entertainment Centre, running until 4pm today and from 9am to 3pm tomorrow.

Mr Clancy gave a shout-out to "school students, mums and dads, teachers, principals, and our businesses that have been impacted by cases going through our schools".

"I have made it clear from my end to Sydney, that we need to move towards a clear, simple message going forward," he said.

"People need to understand what is being asked to them.

"We cannot be having messages, eight days after exposure, telling you to isolate and get tested.

"We can't have businesses and schools disrupted in such significant ways.

"I'm grateful for the response by Health ... it so important that we have senior leaders from NSW Health and from Victoria Health here on the border, and it's very positive seeing collaboration that too often we're calling out for on the Border.

"But ... my call is going out to Sydney saying, we need to have clear, simple messaging that our whole community can understand, so that we can move forward together."

After Albury Wodonga Health provided the first demographic data on the current outbreak, MLHD chief executive Jill Ludford confirmed most Albury cases were aged under 19.

"There's great vaccination rates and low hospitalisation rates, but nevertheless, we are dealing with a COVID outbreak and the majority of the cases that we are seeing are under the age of 19 years," she said.

"Of course, that's having an impact.

"We're working very hard with the Department of Education to again make sure that schools who are doing the contact tracing have got really clear messaging going out to their parents or their school community.

"We are urging schools at this time to really encourage parents to reduce things like birthday parties and sleep-overs.

"Also, we really want to have a super schools week this week, and really get those children aged between 12 and 15 vaccinated, because there are still relatively low rates in the LGA of children who are fully vaccinated.

"When we get schools sending out letters about people needing to stop and stay ... we need to give our principals enough time to do their contact tracing and then get back to families with clear instruction."

Farrer MP Sussan Ley contacted NSW Health Minister Hazzard overnight to reiterate her request for a bulk rapid testing option for school students to alleviate pressure on local testing stations.

Meanwhile, new exposure site alerts have caused some confusion.

Service NSW was alerting those who checked into a facility it had been visited by case, but that has been suspended, Ms Oakman said.

"If you click on the alert button it will go into a message that says, 'If you were there ... watch for symptoms'," she said.

"I understand that that function has been suspended for a moment now because we have found that people were misunderstanding that message.

"So if you have seen that on your phone, please don't panic.

"You will be contacted if you are identified as a close contact, and otherwise just monitor for symptoms."

Murray River Police District Superintendent Paul Smith said nine Australian Defence Force members were assisting local police to conduct isolation compliance and welfare checks.

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"From Saturday, we've had some ADF personnel here, bolstering our capability to get right around the Albury and Jindera populations," he said.

"We pretty much turn up at the doorstep to someone isolating, check they're OK and their needs.

"They're here for at least a week."