There has been no reprieve for Newcastle with several hundred new COVID-19 infections detected in the region for the second day in a row.
Key points:
- There were 674 cases in the Hunter New England Health district, a slight rise from yesterday
- A local MP says the outbreak has been devastating for the community and local businesses
- Another pub and an aged care home have come in contact with confirmed COVID cases
There were 674 new cases in the Hunter New England (HNE) Health district in the past 24 hours, compared to 633 the day before.
The Hunter makes up almost a third of the record-high 2,213 new COVID infections across New South Wales.
Health authorities said the majority of Newcastle’s cases were likely to be the Omicron variant, after a super-spreader event at the Argyle House last week.
The outbreak has forced health officials to intervene to stop the Lunar Electric music festival from going ahead tomorrow.
“I mean given the current situation I just don’t see how, in good conscience, that festival could have gone ahead,” local MP Tim Crakanthorp said.
Mr Crakanthorp said he was concerned for the venues that have had to cancel bookings or shut their doors after being linked to the COVID outbreak.
“I really don’t think people have realised just how difficult we’re doing it here in Newcastle.”
Aged care home, historic pub
Anglican Care has informed the families of residents at its Jesmond Grove aged care facility that a staff member has tested positive to the virus.
In a statement, the Anglican Bishop of Newcastle and the President of Anglican Care, Peter Stuart confirmed four of its residential aged care facilities have been locked down because of the COVID outbreak in the Hunter Region.
“At three of the facilities a staff member tested positive and at one of the facilities a visitor tested positive,” the statement said.
“We are working closely with the State and Commonwealth authorities.
“None of the residents or other staff are showing symptoms. Our resident vaccination rates for the third dose are high.”
Meanwhile, the Great Northern Hotel was the latest pub that has been linked to confirmed cases of COVID-19.
NSW Health has also listed new exposure windows for people who were at the pubs at the following times, urging them to get tested if they felt the slightest flu symptoms.
- The Great Northern Hotel — Saturday December 11, from 12.01am until close
- Finnegan’s Hotel — Saturday December 11, 7pm until close
- The Cambridge Hotel — Saturday December 11, 7pm until close and Sunday December 12, 6pm until close
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