The Illawarra health district says there have been two new cases of COVID-19 in the Illawarra today, and identified a new venue in the Shellharbour LGA where a person who tested positive visited in the past week.
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On Thursday afternoon, the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) sent out an update which said the total number of cases in the area now stands at 127.
The first new case was a returned traveller who is in hotel quarantine in Sydney, and the second was the previously identified Wollongong man in his 30s, who is one of three new mystery cases of COVID-19 in the state.
This case, which represented the first case of community transmission in the region for weeks, has not currently been linked to the Crossroads Hotel outbreak, NSW Health said.
The state health department also put out a warning that a third positive case, which is linked to the South Western Sydney outbreak which started at the Crossroads Hotel, had been found in a person who dined at Rashays in North Wollongong on July 11 between 7-9.30pm.
That person also attended C1 Speed Indoor Karting and Lasertag, Albion Park Rail between 6-7pm, the ISLHD said.
The venues have both carried out a deep clean and contact tracing was undertaken, but anyone who attended the venues should remain alert for symptoms of coronavirus and get tested, NSW Health said.
"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," NSW Health said.
"Do not go to work or catch public transport until you are cleared of COVID-19."
Earlier, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant revealed urgent contact tracing was underway to try to find the source of the three cases which are unconnected to the Sydney outbreak.
The others include a woman in her 40s from Western Sydney and a woman in her 40s from South Western Sydney.
All three cases, including the man from Wollongong, are currently isolating at home, NSW Health said.
"We are concerned when we find cases that can't be linked back, because that indicates we've missed a chain," Dr Chant said.
"We do need people to continue to practise social distancing, isolate with the minimum of symptoms and get tested."
In a video message posted to the Rashays Facebook page, founder Rami Ykmour said the company had followed all NSW Health requirements.
"We are following everything, we are doing everything to stay COVID safe," he said.
He said he had been told in a phone call with NSW Health that Rashays had been "rated or scored as a low risk restaurant".
"We had a positive case in North Wollongong on Saturday, and that person was dining in a private dining area. Now NSW Health has gone through it, and every single customer's name has been given to NSW Health," he said.
"They have dealt with it and we have dealt with it. We have already have detailed cleans nightly so there was nothing for us extra to do."
Mr Ykmour did not mention whether staff had been tested or put into isolation, however when the Mercury called the company's call centre a woman said staff had been tested and were "currently in isolation".
In a statement on its Facebook page, C1 Speed said: "The officers inspected our visitors register and also confirmed 'the protocols conducted in the business met the guidelines for COVID-19 NSW Health Guidelines and that C1 Speed Indoor Karting can continue in business'.
"After enduring mandatory closure for three months to comply to the NSW restrictions, our business needs the support of the community for survival and definitely not unsubstantiated false and misleading information on social media sites."
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