No new cases of COVID-19 across New England health district but source of infection unknown in five local towns

Figures up to 8pm on Saturday found no new COVID-19 cases identified in the preceding 24 hours across the Hunter New England Health (HNEH) district, leaving the overall total at 276.

The Tamworth local council area has 13 confirmed cases, and has recorded one death - a 58-year-old woman who died in Tamworth hospital on Thursday.

Moree has at least one confirmed COVID-19 case.

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It comes just days after HNEH asked for more people to come forward for testing in the town because of low rates of COVID-19 testing.

"I can advise the community that all the contact tracing in respect to this new case has been completed, with everyone who had close contact with this person contacted by the authorities and tested for coronavirus," Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall confirmed on Saturday.

"These results should be back in the next day or two."

Between one to four cases have all previously been recorded in Liverpool Plains; Gunnedah; Glen Innes, Armidale; Uralla; Inverell; Tenterfield

Gwydir Shire, Walcha and Narrabri council areas remain free of confirmed cases.

As of Saturday night, health officials could not say where at least one of the cases in Moree, Tamworth, Armidale, Tenterfield and Gunnedah were contracted.

The 58-year-old woman died in Tamworth hospital on Thursday, but testing only revealed she had coronavirus the day after she died.

Her death wasn't made public until Saturday when the Minister for Health announced it in Sydney.

Authorities won't reveal details on the woman, or when they believe she might have contracted the deadly infection, but she did live in the Tamworth Regional Council area.

Four patients have now died in the Hunter New England Health district.

Three Hunter people, aged 69, 74 and 76, have died in recent weeks from COVID-19 complications. Two of those people died in John Hunter Hospital, the other in Sydney.

Across the HNEH district, seven people are being treated in hospitals for COVID-19, including one in ICU. Twelve patients are receiving Hospital in the Home support.

Two more patients recovered in the latest 24-hour period, with HNEH confirming the total recovered cases figure now stands at 223.

HNEH said a 'recovered case' referred to "anyone previously confirmed positive with COVID-19 who is no longer under active surveillance by the public health unit, in either a hospital or in the community".

This includes anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 and has now completed the required period of self-isolation, or a previously diagnosed case who no longer has the virus.

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