No new COVID-19 cases were announced for the Illawarra on Thursday, although the source of the region's most recent infection is still being investigated.
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The case, which was announced earlier this week, is a resident of the Shellharbour LGA and is isolating at home, an Illawarra-Shoalhaven Local Health District spokesperson said.
"The source of infection is under investigation, however investigations indicate it is most likely linked to travel to Sydney required for work," the spokesperson said.
One case was added to the total confirmed cases for the district, however, this case was acquired overseas in early March and was in health managed quarantine at that time.
"There are no ongoing public health concerns relating to this case," the district spokesperson said.
Additional COVID-19 testing resources were sent to the Shellharbour area, with a new pop-up clinic on Wattle Road open from 12pm.
Clinics were still stretched however, with traffic backed up at the Warilla testing clinic before 10am. Some went from there to the Wattle Road clinic and settled in to wait.
Wollongong Hospital received seven COVID-19 cases from Sydney hospitals last weekend, and some elective surgeries were cancelled this week for staff training.
Elective surgeries will continue at Wollongong Hospital for the time being, however, ISLHD Chief Executive Margot Mains said.
"It is planned for all surgery to resume as normal from next week," she said.
"ISLHD is reviewing its plans for non-urgent elective surgery as part of our pandemic response.
"This may see future changes to surgery at Wollongong Hospital, in line with other public hospitals in Greater Sydney."
Non-urgent elective surgery was temporarily postponed at public hospitals in Greater Sydney, excluding the Illawarra Shoalhaven and Central Coast Local Health Districts, from Monday, August 2.
All emergency surgery and urgent elective surgery has continued.
The NSW Government will provide $30 million to support private hospitals to undertake additional elective surgery on behalf of the NSW Health system.
"This is to ensure that patients who have their non-urgent elective surgery postponed will be scheduled for surgery as soon as possible," Ms Mains said.
"The district has an ongoing arrangement with three private health providers to undertake public elective surgery.
"This arrangement was part of the district's focus on booking in surgeries for those patients whose procedures were delayed by COVID-19 last year."
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