NSW Health has confirmed fragments of COVID-19 have been detected in Merimbula and Thredbo's sewage.
It marks the third detection of COVID fragments in Merimbula's sewage, following detections announced on August 25 and August 28.
The Bega Valley Shire Council said the third detection in Merimbula was from a sample taken over a period from Sunday 29 August and the morning of Monday 30 August.
Bega, Bermagui and Eden samples did not return a detection of the virus during the same period.
Meanwhile, NSW Health has confirmed there has also been a positive detection of COVID-19 in fragments in Thredbo's sewage.
It follows two previous detections at Cooma's sewage treatment plant last Thursday and Sunday.
NSW Deputy Chief Health Officer Marianne Gale says there are currently no cases in the Thredbo or Merimbula areas but is urging more people to get tested.
"We're currently unaware of any COVID-positive people in that area that might explain the sewage detection, so please come forward for testing," Dr Gale said.
Low testing rates
The pop-up drive-through testing clinic at the Club Sapphire carpark in Merimbula, which was set up last week following the first detection in the town, has closed due to low testing rates.
Locals can instead get tested at the drive-through clinic at the South East Regional Hospital in Bega.
But the Bega Valley Shire Mayor Russel Fitzpatrick says the Merimbula pop-up clinic can open again if required.
"NSW Health has advised me they can set up Merimbula again," he said.
"If it gets very busy at South East Regional Hospital we'll look at setting up Merimbula for testing at Club Sapphire again."
The council says the Merimbula sewage treatment plant serves approximately 7,000 people in Merimbula, Pambula, Pambula Beach, South Pambula, Mirador, Berrambool and parts of Millingandi and also includes pumped-out septic from farms.
The council is sending samples from the sewage treatment plants in Eden, Bermagui, Merimbula and Bega, twice a week to NSW Health for testing.
Mayor Fitzpatrick says testing rates need to pick up, even with people who have the mildest of symptoms, in order to find the source of the virus fragments.
"Sometimes we get complacent around these things. I think we're all sick of lockdown," he said.
