There have been no identified cases of the COVID-19 virus in Dubbo, but we're all advised to get tested, symptomatic or not.
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Up to 12pm on Friday, almost 1300 tests were conducted in Dubbo, Mudgee, Gulgong and Rylstone.
There were virus fragments detected in sewerage samples in Dubbo and Mudgee on Wednesday, with more samples to be taken next week.
The Dubbo Showground is open from 8am to 4pm over the weekend, and while cars were gridlocked there in the days after an infectious couple from Victoria had visited the town, on Friday there was barely a trickle of traffic throughout the day.
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The virus fragments aren't necessarily from someone who is actively COVID-19 positive and infectious - they could be from someone recovering from the virus who is no longer infectious, or from someone passing through the town.
But the only way to know for sure is through a COVID test.
The Dubbo detection along with those in Mudgee and Molong in the past week prompted the Western NSW health chief to issue a stern warning: "One thing we absolutely know is there has been people with COVID-19 in our region over the last week or 10 days...there's some real urgency around people coming to get tested if you've got any signs or symptoms, or concerns, however mild."
Dubbo mayor Stephen Lawrence reiterated the need to protect the community.
"Please, if you have any cold and flu like symptoms or are concerned that you may have come into contact with someone outside the local government area, that may be contagious, visit a testing centre immediately and isolate until you have a negative result," Cr Lawrence said.
Up to 8pm Thursday there had been 38,110 COVID-19 tests in the Western NSWLHD in the past four weeks.
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