19 July 2020

NSW Health is directing patrons and staff who attended the Batemans Bay Soldiers Club on Monday 13 July, Wednesday 15 July, Thursday 16 July and Friday 17 July, to immediately be tested for COVID-19 and self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of symptoms.

Everyone must stay in isolation for a full 14 days even if their test is negative. Anyone who develops COVID-19 symptoms should also be retested, even if they have had a negative result previously.

Patrons and staff who attended the Soldiers Club on Tuesday 14 July are being advised to monitor for symptoms and seek testing if symptoms develop.

The change in advice is due to the identification of four new cases linked to the club today; one staff member, two cases who dined at the club and one case who is a close contact of the previously reported cases. Four cases who dined at the club had previously been reported, all members of the same family. One of the eight cases is a local resident.

Contact tracing for all those who attended the club during this period is underway and investigations continue.

To ensure people can get tested quickly, Southern NSW Local Health District (LHD) will continue testing in Batemans Bay through a COVID-19 pop-up clinic at the Hanging Rock Oval Car Park (near the function centre) on Beach Road, Batemans Bay. An additional pop-up clinic will be operational in Batemans Bay from the morning of Monday 20 July to further boost testing capacity.

Anyone feeling unwell – even with the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose or scratchy throat – is urged to seek testing and self-isolate. Do not go to work or catch public transport until you are cleared of COVID-19.

Additional clinics in the LHD include Goulburn Base Hospital, Queanbeyan District Hospital, Eurobodalla Health Service (Moruya), South East Regional Hospital, Cooma District Hospital, Jindabyne Clinic and Yass District Hospital, with pop-up clinics at Malua Bay, Merimbula and Crookwell.

A full list of COVID-19 testing clinics is available or people can visit their GP.​