Orange has not seen a spike in COVID-19 testing this week despite increased demand in Bathurst after remnants of coronavirus were found in tests on raw sewage on Wednesday.
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NSW Health issued a public health alert for the Bathurst region late Wednesday night calling on anyone who attended the Bathurst 1000 over the weekend and for Bathurst residents with any COVID-19 symptoms, to get tested as soon as possible.
On Thursday morning, long queues had formed at Bathurst's Cooke Park Hockey Complex where a drive through testing station was set up the week before the races.
However, a spokeswoman for the Western Local Area Health District confirmed testing is continuing as usual in Orange with no additional services being required.
She said the COVID-19 testing clinic at Orange hospital only operates from 10am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. However, according to the NSW government, a drive-through clinic operates at the Naylor Pavilion at Orange Showground between 9am and 1pm weekdays.
There are also other week day testing locations that require an appointment or doctor's referral including at Douglass Hanly Moir Pathology in Dora Street and the Respiratory Clinic at Bloomfield Medical Centre.
According to NSW Health, 1601 people were tested for coronavirus in Orange in a four week period up to 8pm on Thursday. That was 13 fewer people than for the four week period up to 8pm on Wednesday.
Across NSW for the past two weeks, there were 67,729 tests this week as of 8pm Thursday, down from and 89,175 for the same period last week. There were also seven new coronavirus cases in NSW, all being overseas travellers, in the 24 hours up to 8pm Thursday.
Although no additional cases were found on the back of the sewerage test, Western NSW Public Health Unit director Priscilla Stanley said additional testing services were provided in Bathurst following the Health Alert made on Wednesday night.
"The Bathurst community have responded incredibly well, and I really want to thank people for forward for testing," she said.
In the week before the race, a spokesperson for Western Area Local Health District said the drive through testing clinic was averaging about 20 tests a day.
"By the end of [Thursday] we expect to have seen well over 350 people in our testing services, and more will have gone to the Respiratory Clinic," Ms Stanley said.
"This is a timely reminder for people with any symptoms, even mild symptoms, to isolate and arrange to be tested, and to ensure they practice physical distancing and hand hygiene measures."
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