Tamworth seven-day snap lockdown: COVID-19 advice from Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson, Superintendent Kylie Endemi and mayor Col Murray on lockdown

From 5pm tonight, all residents should stay at home unless they absolutely need to leave for essential reasons, such as shopping; medical appointments; a vaccination or a COVID-19 test; or essential work.

Police, Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson and Tamworth Regional Council mayor Col Murray reminded the community that if everyone does the right thing, the city can come out the other side of lockdown stronger.

THE SNAP lockdown is expected to deal a blow to local businesses and Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson has said he will make sure owners and operators are supported.

"Again, our heart goes out to hotels, pubs, clubs and those who have been doing it tough; not just from the workers' perspective, but the business perspective," he said.

"It's very difficult for businesses operating in this environment.

"If you have a concern or you think you may be eligible for support and assistance, contact Service NSW."

The city has been forced into a "precautionary" lockdown after a positive COVID-19 case travelled through Tamworth on Wednesday evening, visited a number of venues on Thursday and then returned to Newcastle.

As a result, five exposure sites have been identified, two as close contacts and three as casual contacts.

Mr Anderson said, at this point, there are no positive COVID-19 cases in Tamworth and the lockdown was the best way to squash the potential of an outbreak in the region.

"An additional site is being set up in Tamworth to cater for those being tested [at AELEC], there are long waits so we do advise you take care of yourself, take medication or food as there's up to five or six hour wait-times in Tamworth," he said.

Mr Anderson encouraged the community to visit HotDoc online to look at where vaccinations are available and call GP's locally to make a booking.

Pfizer doses that were sent to Sydney HSC students at the start of last week have been replaced in the region.

Despite the NSW outbreak of COVID-19 intensifying, Mr Anderson said he was impressed with the way NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian had handled it.

"I think the course of action that's been taken today is the right course of action to get on top of whatever may or may not be floating around our community at the moment," he said.

"My focus is the Tamworth local government area at this point in time, my focus yesterday was 120 mine workers at Idemitsu's Boggabri Coal mine to make sure they are looked after as well as the person who was tested yesterday."

The mine was immediately shutdown yesterday after a worker returned a low-level positive test to COVID-19, which ended up being a false positive.

POLICE have called on the community to come together, look out for one another and obey lockdown come 5pm, but have warned they're not afraid to enforce the rules.

Oxley Police District Superintendent Kylie Endemi told the Leader a high visibility police operation will continue and people can expect to see police down the street, in businesses and on the roads.

"We come to work, we will do that to support you, to support our community, but what we need in return is for the community to do the right thing," she said.

"We've been here before, we know what to do, please stay at home unless you have a reasonable excuse for not doing so.

"We will be around transport hubs, we will be on the roadways, we will be in businesses, we'll be checking QR coding and all the requirements that we need to do to make sure people are abiding by the public health order."

Superintendent Endemi said Oxley police have all the resources and the technology to catch people trying to flout lockdown orders.

But, she called for calm from the community in return.

"Please do the right thing, everyone has a responsibility right now. Don't try and find a way around the health orders because it's only going to put yourself at risk," she said.

"Now is not the time for placing blame upon any individual ... now is the time to come together."

Oxley police have been monitoring traffic conditions at the city's two drive-through testing clinics.

Superintendent Endemi asked all residents to respect health staff who are coping with a surge in testing demand.

She also reminded locals to check in on their elderly or vulnerable friends and family, and said the police can help.

Any breaches of the public health rules should be reported to the local police or Crime Stoppers.

Superintendent Endemi said some compliance action had resulted in fines over the weekend in the Oxley area, but it was the vast minority breaking the rules.

LEAVE Facebook for friends and get public health advice from the authorities is the message from Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) mayor Col Murray.

With just one week for the public to do the right thing and keep a potential COVID-19 outbreak under control, staff at the council's service centres will be sent to work from home.

The council has been working closely with NSW Health, and has opened a second drive-through testing clinic at the Australian Livestock and Events Centre to deal with bumper-to-bumper traffic in the city's CBD, Cr Murray said.

"This is a very, very important time and a short period of one week for Tamworth and we ask the public to be calm, be measured, be tested and be vaccinated," he said.

"Please don't come to any of our facilities because they will be closed for the week from 5pm this evening.

"All other services provided by the council, where they are not in direct contact with the public, will be operating under limited lockdown status."

The public are asked to enter the AELEC testing station via Greg Norman Drive from Ringers Road, turn right towards the Sports Dome and head into Gate 7.

It's a high-capacity testing station so Cr Murray said wait times shouldn't be as long there.

"Please expect some delays with pathology, they are working flat out, around the clock to help us with those test results," he said.

Click and collect will not be reinstated at Tamworth Regional Library and council meetings will be closed to the public, but available to watch online.

For customer service, please call TRC at 6767 5555.

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