While the Shoalhaven has recorded 12 cases of COVID-19 since Friday, September 3, South Coast MP Shelley Hancock is calling for the region to be let out of lockdown on September 10.
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Mrs Hancock is "confident" numbers in the Shoalhaven are "under control", adding that no new cases were recorded on Tuesday and that she knows the local active cases have been contact traced and are isolating, with only one under investigation.
The regional lockdown across New South Wales is set to end on September 10, however it is expected that a number of regions will have its stay-at-home orders extended.
Acknowledging the local cases and comparing the Shoalhaven with other LGAs, Mrs Hancock maintains her position that the lockdown restrictions in the Shoalhaven should not be extended beyond this date.
"I am absolutely confident that we will keep our case numbers contained," said Mrs Hancock.
"I really think we should come out of lockdown.
"We had no cases for such a long time. And now we have cases that have been identified but linked and contained and those people are isolated.
"This is not Cantebury or Bankstown where there were 400 cases a day. We've got 12 and they're under control. Just let us out."
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Mr Barilaro told regional media outlets on Monday that the state's crisis committee will meet to discuss the lockdown on Wednesday, making a decision on the matter and sharing this publicly on Thursday.
On Friday, September 3, Mr Barilaro said that regions kept in lockdown beyond September 10 would remain under stay-at-home orders until the state reached its 70 per cent double-dosed vaccination target.
On Monday, however, he said that some regional areas would not have their fate tied to Sydney, and may have the chance to leave lockdown sooner - even if extended beyond this weekend.
With Mr Barilaro labelling the Illawarra Shoalhaven and "area of concern", it is unknown whether the Shoalhaven will leave lockdown on September 10.
With confusion and rumours running rampant among the community about potential exposure sites, Mrs Hancock said the community should not worry about cases in certain sites as only "high-risk" venues of concern are released by NSW Health.
"I have ruled out the Manildra plant as a venue of concern," she said.
"The only venue of concern that remains is Bunnings, that had one positive cases that spread to five. We know where they are linked to and we believe they are not linked to Manildra.
"Manildra has been absolutely clear about their concern about this and they have undertaken cleansing and testing and ensuring their workers are safe."
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Mrs Hancock acknowledged that local businesses are doing it tough under lockdown restrictions and urged the community to "remain patient" if the lockdown is extended.
"If we don't come out of lockdown, we just have to be patient. We have to know those decisions are by nature in the best interest of everybody in New South Wales, including the Shoalhaven," she said.
"I have been advocating to the Minister of Health (Brad Hazzard) and expressed views that we should be let out of lockdown. But it will be up to NSW Health."
Advocating for a mass vaccination hub to be brought to Nowra, Mrs Hancock also revealed this will be a likely possibility in the next couple of weeks.
"We've been working on this very hard and we believe this will happen in the next couple of weeks.
Praising the regions vaccination rates, Mrs Hancock reminded the community to keep getting tested and vaccinated to help keep local cases under control.
"I just want to express my confidence that we were on top of this. Having said that, if you have any symptoms at all, then you need to go and get tested," she said.
"We have very high vaccination and COVID testing rates in the Shoalhaven and we need to keep this up," she said.
"Some of the GP clinics like Worrigee Medical Centre and others, and all the local pharmacies have been doing a mighty job in vaccinating this community."
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