The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District has recorded seven COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8 pm Friday night.

Four are from the Wollongong Local Government Area and investigations are ongoing.

Three are from the Kiama Local Government Area.

One Kiama case was acquired interstate.

There have been 2,499 cases of COVID-19 in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District since June.

The Health Department reminds the community to remain vigilant for even the mildest of symptoms and to continue to come forward for testing and vaccination.

With a re-emergence of COVID-19 cases across the Illawarra and Shoalhaven this week, the NSW Electoral Commission has a range of COVID safety measures in place for tomorrow's local government elections.

Cameron Whalan from the NSW Electoral Commission said there's a number of requirements voters must follow.

"That includes mandatory mask wearing, bringing your own pen from home or using one of the single use pens provided.

"Physical distancing when you're in polling places and lines to get in there as well and also checking in and out upon arrival and departure," he said.

Whalan said pre-polling will continue across Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama today.

"It's not too late to pre-poll.

"This morning you can look your address up (HERE).

"You'll find all of your closest pre-polling places but you can also plan ahead for the day following, for election day and find your closest polling locations too," he said.

Fines will apply for those who fail to vote.

Whalan said there are options if you can't physically get to a polling place.

"If you're outside of your local government area or council ward you might be eligible for i-Vote which is online or telephone voting but I would say that if you're unable to make it you will be issued with a failure to vote fine which is $55 but you will also have recourse, so you'll be given the chance to provide sufficient reason," Whalan said.

Image: NSW Electoral Commission

 

The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District  has recorded 13 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8 pm last night.

Of the 13 new cases, seven are from the Wollongong Local Government Area and four are linked to a known case.

Three are from the Shellharbour Local Government Area postcode of 2529, and one is linked to a known case.

There are three new COVID-19 from the Shoalhaven LGA postcode of 2540 and two are linked to a known case.

There were more than 24,280 COVID-19 tests carried out in the Illawarra Shoalhaven for the week ending Sunday, 5 December.

There have been 2,636 cases of COVID-19 in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District since June.

The Local Health District is urging the community to maintain vigilance and to continue to come forward for testing and vaccination.

Police are investigating a shooting in Wollongong early this morning.

Emergency Services were called to a unit complex on Crown Street around 3.15am.

Paramedics found a 23-year-old man with gunshot wound to his leg.

Police said he was taken to Wollongong Hospital where he will undergo surgery.

His injuries are not considered life-threatening.

The crime scene is being forensically examined as inquiries continue into the incident.

Image: News stock

Wollongong continues to be source of all COVID-19 cases in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.

It had four new cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, with three of them linked to known cases.

Meanwhile the Shoalhaven had its 13th successive day of no new cases, and there are seven COVID patients being treated in the district's hospitals.

The 24 hours included the death of a woman in her 60s from the Wollongong area, who had received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and had underlying health conditions.

She was one of two people battling COVID to lose their lives during the time period - the other being an unvaccinated man in his 80s from western Sydney who had underlying health conditions.

Across the state there were 248 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours.

There are currently 195 COVID-19 cases admitted to NSW hospitals, with 35 people in intensive care, 10 of whom require ventilation.

The Shoalhaven's daily COVID-19 case tally has exceeded Wollongong's for the first time in months.

Figures for the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday showed six people in the Shoalhaven tested positive to COVID-19 - four of them linked to known cases.

The new cases are split evenly between the 2540 and 2541 postcodes.

There are also two new cases in Kiama, two in Shellharbour and five in the Wollongong Local Government Area.

The daily figures also showed the number of COVID patients in the health district's hospitals at 8pm on Tuesday had risen by another two to 25.

Across the state NSW recorded 304 locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, along with a single case in an international traveller.

The 305 cases mean there are now 418 people in hospital statewide, with 97 requiring intensive care.

Three people with COVID-19 died  in the most recent reporting period, according to NSW Health.

Since the start of the current outbreak in June there have been 2,391 local cases of COVID-19 in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.

Two new COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the Shoalhaven to 8pm on Wednesday - one of them linked to a known case.

The two new cases were divided between the 2540 and 2541 areas.

There were also six new cases in Wollongong among eight in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District for the 24 hours.

The district has now recorded 2,447 local cases of COVID-19 since the start of the current outbreak in June. 

At 8pm on Wednesday the number of patients being treated in the district's hospitals as a result of COVID-19 had fallen by two to 13.

The 24 hours included the death of an 83-year-old man from the Shellharbour who died at Wollongong Hospital.

He was a close contact of a known case and had received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

He also had underlying health conditions. 

He was one of four COVID-related deaths during the 24 hours, and 308 new cases across the state.

 

While the Shoalhaven has been free of new COVID cases for 11 days, numbers in other areas of the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District have been going through big changes.

Kiama had been without any new cases for weeks, but on Saturday three new cases were detected - one of them acquired interstate.

And this morning it was announced five new cases had been detected in Wollongong in the 24 hours to 8pm Sunday - the highest daily tally for more than two weeks.

All five were linked to known cases.

The volatility has resulted in health officials reminding people to remain vigilant for even the mildest of symptoms, and to continue to come forward for testing and vaccination.

At 8pm on Sunday there were seven COVID patients being treated in the district's hospitals.

During the same timeframe NSW recorded 180 new cases of COVID-19, and an unvaccinated woman in her 50s from south western Sydney died.

Across the state there are 202 COVID cases admitted to hospital, with 30 people in intensive care, 15 of whom require ventilation.