Positive COVID case forces South West Rocks Public School to shut down

In a statement to parents on Sunday (October 24) evening, principal Fiona Lewis said the school would be "non-operational immediately" to allow for contact tracing and deep cleaning.

"I would like to confirm with you that a member of our school community has tested positive for COVID-19," Ms Lewis said.

"All staff and students are asked to self-isolate until you receive further advice."

Students will return to learn from home classes until the school re-opens.

NSW Health urges anyone who has been unwell or who has developed symptoms such as a fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, loss of smell/taste, muscle/joint pains, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting or extreme tiredness to get tested at one of the COVID-19 testing clinics.

The NSW Department of Education will continue to work closely with NSW Health to ensure the health and safety of all students and staff is maintained.

"The safety and wellbeing of our staff and students is of paramount importance to us at all times. As such we will continue to work closely with NSW Health to ensure that all necessary health advice is adhered to," Ms Lewis said.

"While we recognise this will be disruptive and inconvenient for families, it is important that we follow NSW Health advice and take all necessary precautions to minimise the risk of further transmission to support our community."

Three schools in Kempsey were also closed last week - Melville High School, Kempsey West Public School and Kempsey Adventist School. Kendall Public School south of Port Macquarie is also currently closed.

On Sunday, another 23 positive cases were reported in the Mid North Coast Local Health District.

Fifteen are from the Kempsey Local Government Area (LGA), six are from Port Macquarie-Hastings LGA and two from the Coffs Harbour LGA.

Fifteen of the cases are linked to a known case or cluster and the source of the infection of eight cases is under investigation.

This latest number is on top of the 16 cases Thursday, 12 cases reported on Friday and 22 cases on Saturday.

In the last four days alone, 73 cases have been reported.

There have been 130 cases reported in the MNCLHD since the beginning of the current NSW outbreak.

The North Coast Public Health Unit is currently investigating the latest cases and contact tracing is underway, including any potential exposure venues of public concern.

COVID-19 exposure sites are listed on the NSW government at www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/stay-safe/case-locations/exposure-sites. Type in your location or postcode for the latest venues of concern.

The Mid North Coast's vaccination rates continue to climb with almost 95 per cent of the region's residents having received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Anyone who has yet to be vaccinated is encouraged to do so to help to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

The Mid North Coast's COVID-19 testing rates remain high with 920 tests conducted yesterday (Saturday), 513 of which were at Kempsey.

If you have even the mildest of cold-like symptoms, please visit one of our COVID-19 testing clinics at Kempsey, Macksville, South West Rocks, Coffs Harbour, Woolgoolga, and Port Macquarie.

By getting tested and self-isolating until you receive a negative result, you will help to protect your loved ones and the community.

For Kempsey residents, Kempsey District Hospital - River St entrance - 9am to 4pm, Tuesday to Friday (Pfizer)

No appointment is necessary, just bring your Medicare card and photo ID. Please remember to wear your mask and observe physical distancing at all times.

Find available bookings at the Australian Government's COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Finder (previously Eligibility Checker), or you can also call Health Direct on 1800 571 155 for assistance to book.