The number of tests for COVID-19 in Orange since a Summer Street restaurant alert was issued last week has risen by 70 per cent.
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In the four weeks before the alert was sparked last Tuesday, when it was revealed a man who had tested positive to the virus had dined at the Birdie Noshery and Drinking Est, 1978 people had been tested in Orange.
We really need to have higher testing levels
- Gladys Berijklian, NSW Premier
One week later that number has risen to 3352.
It represents 79 people per 1000 of the population of Orange, well up on the previous week's figure of 47/1000.
The number of people tested in Orange is well above any other Central West cities with Dubbo next on 2149 tests and Bathurst on 2081 tests. There have been 379 tests in Blayney and 371 in Cabonne.
However, NSW Health and government officials have urged more people to get tested.
Health officials say at least 25,000 people should get tested daily in NSW but on Monday that figure had dropped to 14,700.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said more testing was vital.
"I'm pleased for people to come forward and get tested," she said.
"[But] we really need to have higher testing levels. 14,700 isn't really enough for where we're up to in the pandemic."
The 61 close contacts to the Birdie restaurant alert have been in isolation. While they have initially tested negative they will need to be tested again before they can be cleared from quarantine.
Ms Berejiklian said with the pandemic's incubation period it was possible people in isolation could test positive late in the quarantine period.
"We're still picking up cases in those last days of being in quarantine," she said.
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