COVID-19 scare at NSW coalmine leads to widespread testing

Around 50 miners at the Tahmoor coalmine near Picton are getting tested and self-isolating after a worker at the mine was identified as a close contact of a COVID-19 case.

Key points:

Around 50 workers and their close contacts from the Tahmoor coalmine were told overnight to get a COVID-19 test and to self-isolate until a negative result was confirmed

A worker at the mine is a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case

The mine, located south-west of Sydney, employs around 400 people and continues to operate

The worker was initially contacted by a business and told he was a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case.

"All persons of the same tag colour that were at work with the employee, plus any other identified secondary close contacts, have been contacted by the site and will be required to undertake a COVID-19 test and isolate until both they and the employee who was the close contact receive a negative result," said a message seen by the ABC.

The coalmine, which is owned by GFG Alliance, employs around 400 people and remains open.

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A statement in response to the scare was released by the company today.

"We have stringent localised COVIDSafe plans to ensure the health and safety of our people, suppliers, customers and community," the statement read.

"We have implemented additional controls at our Tahmoor operations, including COVID-19 surveillance testing, staggered start times to avoid interaction with other crews, and crews preparing for shift and travelling underground isolated from other crews."

Are mine workers 'essential'?

In light of the COVID-19 scare, the New South Wales opposition wants clarification around classification of workers at coalmines and the Port Kembla steelworks.

Opposition health spokesman Ryan Park said he would be discussing the case with NSW Health and calling for coalminers to be classified as essential workers so they could get early vaccinations.

"Why I have argued that they should be vaccinated is because the environment down there. It's very very difficult to escape a virus should one get into the pit," he said.

"So, absolutely, we are going to have to have a look at this more broadly."

Read more about the vaccine rollout:

Meanwhile, Nowra Police Station has undergone a deep clean after a man who was in custody at the station on Thursday, July 29, tested positive to COVID-19. 

The man was transferred into the custody of Corrective Services NSW and returned a positive result after undergoing a test.

A Corrective Services NSW spokesperson said the 36-year-old was housed in a single cell and subjected to the appropriate COVID-19 protocols. 

Corrective Services NSW has been working with staff to identify anyone who has had contact with the infected person. 

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