But it's even worse when you later learn your colleague had been duped by an altered COVID result that had been posted in a group chat.

Dubbo police have today charged a man who allegedly altered his negative COVID test to show a positive result before posting it in a group chat on Friday morning.

It came on another dramatic day across the Central West with a further 10 COVID cases recorded across the Western NSW Local Health District and a second COVID-positive case confirmed at Bathurst Correctional Centre.

Police have been told the man underwent a COVID test on Thursday and received a text message notifying him of a negative result about 6am on Friday.

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The man allegedly altered the message to display a positive result before sending it to a group chat, where one of the contacts notified his workplace believing he was a close contact of a positive COVID case.

The worksite suspended work for the day and instructed its workers to get tested for the virus as a result.

Officers from Orana Mid-Western Police District were notified of the incident a short time later and commenced an investigation.

Following inquiries, the man was charged through a Court Attendance Notice with false representation resulting in police investigation.

He's due to appear in Dubbo Local Court on Monday, September 27.

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