Returned travellers with COVID-19 may have slipped through: Illawarra MP

NSW Health issued an alert that a resident from the Wollongong area returned a positive test two days after being released from quarantine, on their 16^th day back in the country, though they had previously tested negative.

The alert came out Sunday evening and sparked long queues at testing clinics around the region, with people waiting for up two hours Monday morning at a drive-through clinic setup at the Shamrocks Rugby Club in Woonona.

Read more: Seven of 10 close contacts of Wollongong COVID-case so far test negative

"We were always under the impression that 14 days was the incubation period, it's now quite obvious that the NSW Government may have to review when they do additional testing," Labor's health spokesman and Illawarra MP Ryan Park said.

"[They] will also need to look at increasing the hotel quarantine stay if we're getting cases identified on the 16th day.

"I am very, very concerned ... that we have missed people."

In the 24 hours to 8pm Sunday, the Illawarra case was one of three identified by NSW Health - the other two currently in hotel quarantine.

There were 11,399 tests reported, compared with the previous day's total of 9,248.

This week Premier Gladys Berejiklian had said the government would look at easing restrictions "unless something very unexpected occurred".

Mr Park said it was too early to know if this would be affected by the new positive case, though heavy restrictions negatively impacted the economy.

"At this stage it's one case," he said. "Every time we go back to heavier restrictions it has an impact on jobs, that's an impact on business."

Mr Park urged the community to "do the right thing".

"Sometimes outbreaks like this give an opportunity for conspiracy theorists to say a whole lot of rubbish on social media," he said.

"I ask people to ignore that, and I say to them please get your advice from a government health authority ... and making sure we're following those instructions around testing and self-isolation."

The person who tested positive for COVID-19 visited a number of venues in Wollongong and surrounding areas, as well as a café in Brighton Le Sands in south-eastern Sydney, before they were notified of the positive result from their day-16 test.

"The person did not have any symptoms but underwent testing as part of the recently enhanced day-16 follow-up as an additional precautionary measure," NSW Health said in a statement.

"Test results indicate that the person has a low level of infection and their household contacts have returned negative results to date."

Anyone who attended the Headlands Hotel in Austinmer on Tuesday 2 February from 1pm to 3pm, and the Bulli Beach Café on Saturday 6 February from 1.30pm to 4pm, should immediately get tested and self-isolate until further advice is provided by NSW Health.

Additionally, NSW Health has revised the timings relating to the Officeworks on 145 Princes Highway, Fairy Meadow in light of further investigation. Anyone who attended this venue of concern between 2.10pm and 3.10pm on Friday 5 February is advised to get tested and self-isolate until they receive a negative result.

A complete list of venues of concern, and the related health advice, is available on NSW Government - Latest news and updates.

To increase testing options for the community, a new pop-up drive-through clinic has opened today at Figtree Laverty Pathology Drive-through Clinic on 11 Princes Highway, Figtree, from 7am - 8pm.

NSW Health has also increased staffing and extended hours at the Woonona Laverty Pathology drive-through clinic at Shamrock Rugby Club, Lot 5, Campbell Street, Woonona from 7am -8pm Monday.

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