Three Wollongong venues have closed their doors for cleaning and contact tracing after becoming COVID-19 exposure sites.
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Towradgi Beach Hotel, Pepe's on the Beach and The Prince took to social media on Tuesday to inform their customers that confirmed COVID-19 cases had attended both venues.
The Towradgi pub will undergo a weeklong shutdown.
The Illawarra Hotel was also listed on a public health alert issued by the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District but is still open to the public.
"We have been notified that there has been confirmed cases of COVID- 19 at Towradgi Beach Hotel and have been working closely with NSW Health," the Towradgi Beach Hotel posted on Facebook.
"Our highest priority is the health and safety of our customers and staff so as a precaution we have decided to close the venue reopening, Monday 6th December.
"We understand that this will inconvenience many that have booked events or made plans to visit us, however, this is not a decision that has been made lightly."
The bottle shop and motel will remain open for trade.
Using the same wording, Novotel North Beach venue Pepe's on the Beach announced on Instagram it would close until Friday.
Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District issued the alert for the venues after they were attended by a confirmed case of COVID-19 during their infectious period.
The case is linked to other known local cases. None are linked to returned travellers. The District's Public Health Unit said that there is no evidence to suggest that these cases are infected with the Omicron COVID-19 variant of concern.
Contact tracing is underway, and close contacts are being notified directly by NSW Health. People who have been at a venue at the same time as a positive case will receive an alert through the ServiceNSW app.
Given the high volume of location alerts and patrons attending these venues, the LHD is advising the community of the following venues to ensure that anyone who attended them during the dates and times listed knows to come forward for testing immediately.
Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed is a casual contact who must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.
Pepe's on the Beach, Wollongong:
- Friday, November 19 from 5pm to midnight.
- Saturday, November 20 from 12 am to 2am and 5pm to 11.59pm
- Sunday, November 21 from 12am to 2am and 5pm to 11.50pm
- Monday, November 22 from 12am to 2am and 5pm to 11.50pm
- Wednesday, November 24 from 1pm to 10pm
- Thursday, November 25 from 10am to 10pm
- Friday, November 26 from 4pm to 11.59pm
- Saturday, November 27 from 12am to 1am.
The Illawarra Hotel, Wollongong
- Monday, November 22 from 12am to 1am and 6pm to 11.59pm
- Tuesday, November 23 from 6am to 11pm
- Thursday, November 25 from 7pm to 11.59pm
- Friday, November 26 from 12am to 2am
The Prince, Globe Lane, Wollongong
- Wednesday, November 24 from 9pm to 11pm
- Thursday, November 25 from 7pm to 11.59pm
- Friday, November 26 from 12am to 1am and 3pm to 11.59pm
- Saturday, November 27 from 12am to 2am and 12pm to 11.59pm
- Sunday, November 28 from 12am to 2am
Towradgi Beach Hotel & Waves, Wollongong
- Friday, November 26 from 9am to 7pm
- Saturday, November 27 from 11am to 11pm
- Sunday, November 28 from 10am to 6pm
The closures come after eight new COVID-19 cases were identified in the Illawarra overnight.
Of these, six are from the Wollongong LGA, with five living in the 2500 (Wollongong/ North Wollongong) postcode and one in the 2518 (Corrimal/ Towradgi) postcode. Five of the six are linked to known cases.
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