THE bailed inmate from Bathurst Correctional Centre who later tested positive for COVID-19 "left straight for Walgett" after he left the facility, avoiding stops in other regional locations like Orange, according to the Western NSW Local Health District.
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Corrective Services NSW confirmed on Wednesday that a 27-year-old inmate had arrived at Bathurst Correctional Centre on Saturday, was COVID-tested as part of the department's protocols, was released on bail on Monday and returned a positive test on Wednesday.
The man is now in Walgett, and has sparked a lockdown order for that region of NSW.
"Our contact tracing team have worked very closely with the confirmed case from Walgett to identify his travel from Bathurst back to Walgett," health district CEO Scott McLachlan said.
"The information we've been provided is there was a person that picked him up directly from the jail and left straight for Walgett; did not visit any other locations in Bathurst.
"That's information that we'll continually follow up on.
That person had left town directly for Walgett.
- Western NSW Local Health District CEO Scott McLachlan
"We understand there is no cause for concern in Bathurst. That person had left town directly for Walgett."
Mr McLachlan was asked on Thursday about the long delay between the man being tested and being confirmed as having COVID-19.
"We're doing absolutely everything we can to fast-track those results," he said.
"We know that particularly Laverty Pathology have seen a significant improvement in their tests being turned around in the last 24 or 48 hours, so that's pleasing.
"The last thing we want to see is people waiting three or four days for test results to come back and we're working very closely with Corrections health to help improve that for Corrections health and we know they're committed to making sure that happens."
It was announced on Wednesday that COVID fragments had been found in a sewage sample taken in Bathurst on Monday.
"The person who has now been diagnosed with COVID from Walgett was in Bathurst around the time that the sample was taken, so we think that may have been the trigger for the COVID sample, but we can't be absolutely sure," Mr McLachlan said.
"So this is the time for us to be really vigilant.
"We have taken another sample of the sewage and we're expecting that to come back in the next 24 to 48 hours.
"That will be another signal of if there's someone still in the community with COVID in Bathurst."
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