A SEVEN-DAY lockdown across three NSW Central West local government areas will end at midnight on Tuesday with no new cases of COVID-19 detected in the region.
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Western NSW Local Health District chief executive Scott McLachlan confirmed this afternoon that stay-at-home orders for residents in the Blayney, Orange and Cabonne LGAs would be lifted at 12.01am, as had been hoped.
Mr McLachlan said there had been thousands of COVID tests conducted across the region in the past seven days.
"Our communities rallied during that period and, up to Monday night, more than 11,500 tests had been completed in the Orange, Blayney and Cabonne LGAs," Mr McLachlan said.
"Including Bathurst, Dubbo, Parkes and Forbes, almost 15,000 COVID-19 tests had been completed. We must thank the community for such an impressive response, but now is not the time to become complacent.
"At all times, and certainly when there's been a case recorded locally, widespread testing gives us the best chance possible to see if there has been any spread of COVID-19 in the community.
"It's a key measure in determining any threat to our local communities and, in the situation where parts of our district have tighter restrictions imposed, is crucial to informing decisions about when it might be safe to lift those."
The only known case of COVID in the Western NSW LHD remains a Blayney factory worker who was infected after coming in contact with a truck driver who visited the site.
TESTING RATES ACROSS LGAs OF ORANGE, CABONNE AND BLAYNEY DURING LOCKDOWN:
Mr McLachlan said the Blayney, Orange and Cabonne LGAs would now revert to the same COVID restrictions that remain in place across the rest of regional NSW.
"They include wearing masks while indoors including at work, limiting visitors to your home and following the one person per four square metres rule, in line with those guidelines," he said.
"The stay at home restrictions remain in place for the Greater Sydney region and anyone who visits the included areas, or has visited the included areas in the last 14 days, must follow those orders.
"I'd also urge everyone in the community to get vaccinated as soon as possible, vaccination has never been more important and I cannot stress enough that both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines are effective, and very safe."
For information on testing locations go to the NSW Government website and click the Covid-19 button to search for your nearest location, anyone with symptoms should arrange to be tested and self-isolate until they receive their results.
For information on COVID-19 vaccination and to book appointments, go to the COVID-19 Vaccine Eligibility Checker at www.health.gov.au.
Lockdown countdown
Lockdown Eve - July 20
A confirmed case of COVID-19 emerges in the Cabonne Local Government Area and it's revealed, while infectious, that case was active in the community on July 16 and July 17.
Five locations across Orange are identified as exposure sites before health officials and the NSW Government throw the Orange, Blayney and Cabonne LGAs - totaling a population of around 60,000 people - into a snap, seven-day lockdown.
Day One - July 21
Thousands of Orange residents waited in line for COVID-19 testing on Wednesday at the Orange Showground and at Wade Park - the first day of the city and the region's week-long lockdown.
Around seven per cent of the combined population from Parkes, Blayney, Cabonne and Orange got tested on the opening day of the lockdown.
Another drive-through testing clinic is opened the old Bunnings site.
Day Two - July 22
No new venues of concern are identified. Mr McLachlan says the next five days are going to be crucial for the region and residents need to come out and get tested, "particularly if they've got symptoms, not matter how mild".
Day Three - July 23
More than 1500 COVID-19 tests were performed at drive-through services in Parkes, Blayney, Molong, Orange and Bathurst.
No new cases are recorded.
Day Four - July 24
Testing dips slightly, with more than 1400 COVID-19 tests performed at drive-through services at the same five locations across the Western LHD.
Day Five - July 25
Around 900 tests were performed at drive-through services across the district.
Up until 8pm, over 37,000 tests have been conducted in the Western LHD over the course of the last four weeks.
Day Six - July 26
Western NSW Local Health District Chief Executive Scott McLachlan says low testing rates over the weekend in Blayney, Cabonne and Orange are of a "real concern" and may impact the region's ability to emerge from a seven-day lockdown on time.
Testing clinics across the region remain open in a bid to ensure "if COVID is in the region we can get in front of it", Mr McLachlan said.
Day Seven - July 27
The seven-day lockdown is due to end, with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian indicating news was promising ahead of an announcement on Tuesday.
