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More than 18,500 residents in Western Sydney have been urged to get tested for COVID-19 by NSW Health after virus fragments were discovered in sewage at local pumping stations.
The COVID-19 virus fragments were detected by New South Wales' ongoing sewage surveillance program and found at pumping stations serving North Kellyville, Rouse Hill, Box Hill, The Ponds, Kellyville Ridge, Parklea, Quakers Hill and Acacia Gardens.
"While detection of the virus in sewage samples could reflect the presence of older cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in these areas, NSW Health is concerned there could be other active cases in the local community in people who have not been tested and who might incorrectly assume their symptoms are simply a cold," NSW Health said.
"People who live and/or work in these areas must be aware of any symptoms of illness, and immediately isolate and get tested should even the mildest of symptoms appear that might appear to be just be a cold. Symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat, cough, tiredness, fever or other symptoms could be COVID-19."
To facilitate COVID-19 testing in the area a new drive-through pop-up clinic has been established in The Fiddler car park on the corner of Windsor and Commercial Roads in Rouse Hill.
NSW recorded no new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 yesterday from 20,586 tests.
However, four new cases were reported in overseas travellers in hotel quarantine, bringing the total number of cases in NSW to 4,289 since the start of the pandemic.
It comes as Victoria has gone 13 days without any new locally acquired cases of COVID-19.
Updated at 9.34am AEDT on 12 November 2020.
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