Berkeley man's public plea after contracting COVID-19

The man believes he contracted the virus on Sunday August 22, when he frequented Wollongong's Blue Mile track between 2pm and 7pm. He was diagnosed with COVID the following Tuesday and is now in hospital according to the post.

"[He] wants to ensure that everyone who had contact with him doesn't get complacent or ignore any health warnings issued," the post stated. "He has already provided contact tracers with about 30 contacts but feels that he may have missed some."

The Mercury tried to contact the family of the man but they declined to be interviewed.

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NSW Health has previously listed venues of concern in and around that area for that weekend, including Levendi at Belmore Basin and North Kiosk.

It comes as a Barrack Heights childcare centre has made the decision to close for two weeks after a person who tested positive for COVID-19 visited the centre on Thursday August 26, with some families and educators now self-isolating.

In a letter to parents, management of the Poka Dot Kids Early Learning Centre said in consultation with the Department of Education they wanted to close the centre from Monday August 30 until Friday September 10, in which a deep clean would be undertaken. All other centres would remain open.

Centre director Trudy Lloyd said she had been working closely with NSW Health and while they weren't forced to close, she thought it would be better for "the wellbeing of the children and their families" with several staff isolating and unable to work.

"We're doing everything we can," Trudy Lloyd told the Mercury. "We're just making sure we're doing the right thing."

NSW reported 1218 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, with 13 of those detected in the Illawarra Shoalhaven area.

Six cases were from the Wollongong LGA (one under investigation while the other five linked to a known case) and seven cases were from Shellharbour LGA (the source of two under investigation while five were linked to a known case).

Berkeley West takeaway shop, The Munch House, has been listed as a place of concern by NSW Health on Sunday, after being visited by a person positive with COVID-19, while five other Illawarra sites were listed on Saturday.

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Berkeley West Takeaway - The Munch House, 1/6 Kelly Street

Coles Berkeley, 65 Winnima Way

Lakeview Hotel Bottle Shop, 4 Government Road, Oak Flats

Coles Warrawong, Warrawong Plaza Shopping Center, Corner of Northcliffe Drive and King Street, Warrawong

Coles Wollongong, 200 Crown Street

Woolworths Wollongong, 63 Burelli Street

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