Long line at Bathurst's drive-through COVID testing site after Christmas weekend

The queue stretched almost the length of the Russell Street block between George and Rankin streets just before 9am, but that section had cleared just after 9am.

It follows days and days of the state recording COVID numbers in the thousands and cases being identified throughout the Western NSW Local Health District.

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Bathurst has fared better than Orange in the most recent updates from the health district: Orange local government area had eight new cases and Bathurst two (one of those in Kelso) in the 24 hours to 8pm on December 25 and Orange had 21 cases and Bathurst four in the 24 hours before.

Importantly, though, the health district has only one person in hospital and no people in ICU.

In a pre-Christmas message to the health district, acting chief executive Mark Spittall urged young adults, in particular, to be aware of the risk of picking up the virus.

"Three-quarters of the confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our district have been aged under 39, and one third of those have been in the 20-39 age group," he said.

"If you do plan to go out ... to celebrate Christmas Eve, or at all across the holiday period, consider the risk to yourself and to others and take sensible precautions to keep yourself safe."

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He also said there was a very high demand for COVID-19 testing, "so if you require a test, be prepared for waiting times and be patient and respectful with any healthcare staff you correspond with".

"Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 will be notified of that result and, if that occurs, please make contact with NSW Health immediately," he said.

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