Fast-Tracking Sewerage Sample

Following today’s announcement of COVID-19 fragments found in the Moree sewerage system, Council is being proactive in fast-tracking a sewerage sample to Sydney Water for analysis on Monday morning.

Our normal procedure with the ‘Sewage Surveillance Program’ has been to sample once a week in alignment with the Moree to Sydney Qantas flight, allowing the freshest sewerage sample to be analysed at Sydney Water. However, due to the reduction in Qantas flights departing from Moree, this is not a feasible option at this stage.

As a safety precaution, we and the greater community want fast results on a new sample which will be undertaken and logistically delivered to Tamworth to go on a flight to Sydney, ready for analysis in front of our normal sampling schedule.

Council’s negative result update announced on Friday was based on the NSW Health portal information as of the close of business on Friday 27 August at 5pm.

Council was notified regarding the positive fragments in the sewerage for COVID-19 was not received until late Friday night and a confirmation phone call was later received mid-morning today when updates to Councils Facebook occurred.

"However, this is a good wake-up call to the community to get out get tested and wonderful to see so many taking advantage of the vaccination clinic today at the Moree Services Club".

“Please all continue to sanitise, wear your masks, and abide by the NSW Health Orders, we understand this result is unprecedented for our community, but together we can get through this” said, Mayor Katrina Humphries.

There are currently provisions for COVID testing at the Moree Gateway. People can still get their vaccinations through the Moree District Hospital, Frome Street Medical Centre, and at the Pius X Aboriginal Corporation.

The community will be kept up to date with these results as they come to hand from this additional sewerage sample.