Critical incident investigation underway following crash – Casino

A critical incident investigation has been declared after a cyclist was struck by a vehicle in the state’s north.

About 9.40pm (Thursday 29 July 2021) officers attached to Richmond Police District were at an address on Churchill Crescent, Casino, for an unrelated matter when they noticed a cyclist riding without a helmet or lights on his bicycle.

Police requested the man stop; however, he continued riding and collided with a vehicle at the intersection of Churchill Crescent and Hotham Street.

He was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics, however, died at the scene. The man is yet to be formally identified.

The driver of the vehicle, a 20-year-old Queensland man, was not injured and taken to Casino Hospital for mandatory testing.

The man’s four passengers were uninjured.

The Crash Investigation Unit (CIU) is attending the scene.

A critical incident team from Tweed-Byron Police District will now investigate all circumstances surrounding the incident.

That investigation will be subject to independent review.

No further details are available at this time.

Testing numbers up across Northern NSW Local Health District

Northern NSW Local Health District would like to thank the community for their recent response to calls for testing in the Byron Bay and Ballina areas recently.
“Following advice over the weekend that a positive COVID-19 case had travelled on a flight from Sydney to Ballina, and recent detection of virus fragments in sewage in Byron Bay, we’ve seen a jump in people getting tested at local clinics,” Lynne Weir, Acting Chief Executive, Northern NSW Local Health District said.
“It’s promising to see our community responding to these calls, as it’s so important in the fight to find any cases which may be in our area.
“So far, there have not been any new confirmed cases identified within our District.”
Testing figures show there were 6,857 tests conducted among residents of Northern NSW Local Health District for the week of 18 – 24 July, almost a 50 per cent jump on the previous week when 4,575 tests were conducted.
The 45 passengers and additional crew members on flight VA1139 on 14 July, who were all identified as close contacts of the positive case, were contacted by NSW Health and advised to get tested and self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of the initial test result.
Daily sewage samples taken from the Byron Bay treatment plant since the detection of viral fragments on 20 July have all returned negative results, as have the other testing sites across the District.
“I encourage anyone who is feeling unwell to come forward for a COVID-19 test as soon as they develop symptoms,’ Ms Weir said.
“Testing and tracing are some of the best tools we have to manage the virus, and if there are cases which we don’t know about, that makes it difficult for our health teams to respond.
“Please don’t wait to get a test, you can find testing clinics open any day of the week.”
Clinic locations and opening hours are listed on the NSW website at COVID-19 testing clinics. There are more than 400 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW.

More questions than answers for HSC teachers

Teachers affected by the Covid lockdown in the Sydney region are already doing all they can to reassure and ready their students for the HSC exams. But today’s announcement by the NSW Government that HSC students will return to school on August 16 raises more questions than it answers.

The IEU calls for greater clarity as teachers once again adapt to fast-changing, complex circumstances to ensure their students can take on the HSC with confidence.

“How will rapid-antigen testing be administered and how quickly will results be available? Will vaccinations be administered at individual schools? Will the local government areas under the tightest restrictions (including the three announced today) be prioritised?” asked Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT Branch Secretary Mark Northam.

The IEU, which represents 32,000 teachers and support staff in the non-government sector throughout NSW and the ACT, anticipates close consultation from NSW Health so the union can support members’ safety and provide them with accurate detail to allay their concerns. “We expect the buffer of time between now and 16 August to be used to iron out every last detail and contingency,” Northam said.

Since January, the IEU has been calling for school staff to be included in priority groups for vaccination. What we foresaw months ago is now absolutely upon us. “We now call for urgent priority access to vaccinations for all teachers, but in particular teachers in the Parramatta, Campbelltown, Georges River, Blacktown and Cumberland local government areas,” Northam said.

“We also call for paid vaccination leave for all school staff as case numbers are still rising and the HSC is rapidly approaching.”

The IEU supports priority vaccination for essential workers, and for school staff to be included in this category. “The health and safety of teachers and support staff is our greatest concern,” Northam said. “Between now and August 16 we will consult with our members and ask that the NSW Government address their concerns.”