BATHURST has recorded six new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm Friday as health officials urge unvaccinated residents to come forward to get the jab.
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Five of the new cases were foreshadowed by health officials on Friday, and four of the six new cases were still out in the community while infectious.
They bring the Bathurst region's total known active cases of COVID-19 to 16 while 65 people have recovered from COVID-19.
The rise in Bathurst cases comes as Western NSW Local Health District chief executive Scott McLachlan has put out a call for the region's unvaccinated to finally come forward to get vaccinated.
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Mr McLachlan said the latest figures from the Australian Immunisation Register, updated to October 17, showed the COVID vaccination rate in Bathurst local government area ranked among the lowest in all 22 LGAs across the western region.
"For people aged 16 and over the Bathurst Regional LGA's first-dose vaccination rate is 91.8 per cent, which ranks 18th out of the 22 LGAs in WNSWLHD. The second-dose rate of 82.5 per cent ranks 15th of 22," he said.
"For people aged 12 to 15, the first-dose vaccination rate is 81.6 per cent which ranks 14th out of 22 and the second-dose rate is 62.9 per cent, which ranks 15th out of 22."
While Bathurst residents are being warned to remain vigilant, there was better news across the rest of the western district and the rest of the state.
Western NSW LHD recorded eight new cases of COVID-19 to 8pm on Friday (Bathurst's six and two in Dubbo) while NSW recorded 332 cases, down slightly from 345 the day before.
There are 469 people in hospital, with 123 in intensive care.
Close to 93 per cent of the eligible NSW population have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccination, with 83.7 per cent of people aged 16-plus now fully vaccinated.
Venues of concern
TWO Bathurst businesses have been listed as venues of concern in the past 24 hours. They are:
- Bent Threads Menswear, William Street: 4.18pm-4.25pm on Tuesday, October 19 and 4.30pm-5.30pm on Thursday, October 21.
- Steve's Quality Meats, Westpoint Shopping Centre: 3.45pm-3.50pm on Wednesday, October 20 and 3.45pm-3.50pm on Thursday, October 21.
Anyone who visited either of those businesses at the nominated times is considered a casual contact.
They should get tested immediately and self-isolate until they get a negative result.
Drive-through COVID testing is available from 8am-4pm each day at the former Clancy Motors site at 252 Howick Street.
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