There were no new confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday morning with Keira MP Ryan Park calling for more testing to take place in Wollongong along with other infection area "hotspots".
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
As at 9am on Tuesday, there were 114 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.
The District's total number of cases, which reached 116 on Monday, has been revised on Tuesday due to two cases who have since been identified as living outside of the Illawarra Shoalhaven.
Those cases will be included in the totals of other local health districts or jurisdictions.
Of the 114 cases, two patients are being cared for in Wollongong Hospital, and one patient in Shoalhaven Hospital.
All three patients are in our dedicated COVID-19 Intensive Care Units (ICU).
In addition, the District is caring for one patient from outside the Illawarra Shoalhaven.
The most number of cases are in people aged 60-69 with 24, while there are 21 people aged 70-79.
Meanwhile, across the state, as at 8pm Monday, there has been seven new COVID-19 cases diagnosed since 8pm on Sunday, which brings the total number of cases to 2870. During that time, 1422 people were tested.
NSW chief medical officer Dr Kerry chant said this week, NSW Health would focus on testing people in Penrith, Inner West, Liverpool, Randwick, Waverley, Woollahra, Blacktwon, Cumberland, Westmead, Ryde Manning and Lake Macquarie.
She said those areas have been prioritised as they have a small number of cases of community transmission where the source has not been identified, however NSW Health is asking anyone who is feeling unwell to be tested.
She asked residents in those areas to call their GP, present to a COVID-19 clinic or emergency department, as testing criteria will be relaxed in those areas.
The death toll remain at 26 in NSW. There are 225 people being treated by NSW Health, with 32 patients in intensive care units and 19 people are being ventilated.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian also announced patients who get tested and return a negative result can be notified via text message the same day they are tested, so they do not have to continue to self isolate.
On Tuesday, NSW Labor called on the Berejiklian Government to immediately expand testing to everyone reporting COVID-19 symptoms in Wollongong, as well as on the Central Coast, in Canterbury-Bankstown, Bayside, Georges River and the Sutherland Shire.
NSW Labor shadow health spokesman, Ryan Park said testing in NSW has generally been limited to returning travellers or known contacts of confirmed cases.
However, NSW made testing available to anyone reporting symptoms in areas like Blacktown, Westmead and Liverpool, after doing so for places like Ryde, the Eastern Suburbs, Broken Hill and Port Macquarie last week.
Other local government areas with high case numbers, including community transmission cases, where test criteria has not been broadened include the Sutherland Shire which has 88 cases, the seven most of any LGA; Canterbury-Bankstown which has 85 cases; Bayside with 63 cases; Georges River which has 58 cases; Newcastle with 55 cases; and Wollongong which has 51 cases.
Mr Park said he welcomed any expansion in testing for COVID-19 but it was vital that anyone who needed a test could get one in any part of NSW.
"The Central Coast, Sutherland Shire, Canterbury-Bankstown, Bayside, Georges River, Newcastle and Wollongong all have significant presence of COVID-19, and often higher case numbers than areas where the criteria to get a test have been relaxed," he said.
"If the Queensland government is requiring anyone who has been on the Central Coast, Sutherland Shire or Canterbury-Bankstown to self-isolate for 14 days if they return to Queensland, then NSW should be fully testing its own residents in these locations.
"We have 351 cases of community transmission in NSW where the origin of the infection is unidentified - and it is vital that we bring that number down."
We have removed our paywall from our stories about the coronavirus. This is a rapidly changing situation and we aim to make sure our readers are as informed as possible. If you would like to support our journalists you can subscribe here.