The number of COVID-19 cases recorded in the Illawarra continues to climb, with another 52 detected in one day.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In the 24 hours to 8pm Monday, 37 Wollongong residents tested positive as did 15 Shellharbour residents, but there were no new cases in Kiama.
The source of infection for 28 cases in Wollongong and three cases in Shellharbour is still under investigation.
The Shoalhaven has also recorded another 10 cases.
There are now 584 active cases in the Illawarra, three-quarters of which are in the Wollongong local government area.
Cases are considered active for 14 days from the onset of symptoms, or until a COVID patient is discharged from hospital.
The postcodes with the highest number of active cases in the Illawarra include 2500, with 123; 2502, with 78; 2518, with 61; and 2528, with 51.
The local health district's public health team has advised some residents of Warrawong that they are considered casual contacts of COVID cases.
Cases have emerged in the streets of Kully Way, Griffin Street, Wegit Way and Minnegang Street, where homes are situated close together.
Recipients of letters and text messages from the health authorities been told to get tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result, plus undergo a second test this weekend.
Meanwhile, across NSW there are 863 new locally acquired COVID cases, with Port Macquarie and Muswellbrook returning to lockdown for at least a week.
Sadly there were seven more deaths reported, bringing the total number during this outbreak to 316.
Wollongong Hospital is treating 38 COVID patients, who are among 1155 people with the illness in hospital in NSW. There are 213 people in intensive care, of whom 113 need ventilation.
Almost 86 per cent of NSW residents 16 and older have had at least their first dose of the COVID vaccine, while 60.4 per cent are fully vaccinated.
For Wollongong residents aged 15 and over, 81.7 per cent have received at least one shot, while 56.4 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Shellharbour has a fully vaccinated rate of 56.2 per cent but its one-dose rate is higher than Wollongong, at 86.4 per cent.
Almost 90 per cent of people aged 15 and over in Kiama have had one dose of the vaccine and 66.5 per cent have had both.
With testing demand high, the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has worked with private provider Histopath to establish a new testing clinic in Warrawong.
The drive-through and walk-in clinic is open 8am to 6pm daily and can be found at the Kully Bay car park (east of the Illawarra Yacht Club) off Northcliffe Drive.
The Illawarra Mercury news app is now officially live on both iOS and Android devices. It is available for download in the Apple Store and Google Play.