ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr has shut down suggestions by NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro that Canberrans are to blame after COVID-19 fragments were detected in sewage at Merimbula on the NSW South Coast.
Mr Barilaro today told reporters he’s concerned about the region given its “proximity to Canberra knowing that many Canberrans had moved down to the South Coast”.
“We also had the mass exodus out of Canberra when their lockdown approached,” he said.
COVID-19 fragments were detected in the Merimbula sewage treatment plant, which serves about 15,000 people on the NSW South Coast.
There have been no positive COVID-19 cases recorded along the NSW Far South Coast in over a year.
“It’s been an area that’s been quite clean from COVID for a very, very long time and we are asking the community to come out and be tested,” Mr Barilaro said.
The Deputy Premier noted the detected fragments returned a high-level positive reading in Merimbula.
“My concern is there is still a level of movement out of Canberra and maybe even Sydney. I can’t quantify that, but it’s a concern.”
Mr Barr responded by refuting the NSW Deputy’s claims, noting that at this stage there’s no possible way to tell whether the sewage has come from Canberra or not.
“There’s COVID all over NSW so it’s just as likely to be from NSW,” he said.
I don’t think the sewerage detection is quite that sophisticated to be able to tell whether it’s a Canberran’s poo or somebody else’s.
ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr.
“Does John know something about the poo that other people don’t?
“I mean, if he’s got scientific evidence that can back it up, that it’s Canberra poo, okay, alright.
“But I mean, seriously, I’m just not interested in having whose poo it was arguments with John Barilaro at the moment.”
A pop-up drive-through clinic in Merimbula is open from 2pm to 7pm today in the carpark at Club Sapphire, 119 Main Street.
The clinic will also operate 8am-4pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday this week.
South East Regional Hospital’s COVID-19 drive-through testing clinic is open Monday to Sunday 8am to 4pm.
A full list of Southern NSW testing sites can be found here.
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