No new cases of coronavirus have been reported within the Southern NSW Local Health District.
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Data released by the District showed this was the situation as of 11pm Tuesday.
It comes amid a strong turn-out for testing, for which health authorities are praising the community.
Figures show there are five active cases in the District, with three in Eurobodalla, one in the Snowy Monaro and one at Yass. There are none in Goulburn Mulwaree, Upper Lachlan Shire and Queanbeyan Palerang, among others.
NSW Health has recently started a research program to test sewage for traces of COVID-19 across the state.
The research supports the public health response to the pandemic. Sampling has commenced at a number of metropolitan and regional locations across NSW.
"Initial samples collected at the Perisher sewage treatment plant on Wednesday, July 22 returned a positive result for the presence of COVID-19," a spokesperson said.
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"It is important to note that no cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Perisher or Thredbo to date. Further sampling and analysis is required to assess the significance of this initial positive result.
"The positive sewage result can be due to shedding of the virus by someone who may have previously had the illness, with the virus 'shedding' through their system for up to four weeks later.
The positive result does serve as a timely reminder that locals and visitors to the region need to remain vigilant regarding social distancing, hygiene and the need to isolate and get tested if the need arises."
The Health District has stepped up testing in the Monaro and Alpine regions.
Other test sites include Goulburn Base Hospital, Queanbeyan District Hospital, Eurobodalla Health Service (Moruya), South East Regional Hospital (SERH), Cooma District Hospital, Jindabyne Clinic and Yass District Hospital as well as the 'pop-up' clinics at Hanging Rock and Crookwell. For more details visit the website at: www.snswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au.
There is no longer a need to schedule appointments.
SNSWLHD is urging anyone feeling unwell - even with the mildest of symptoms such as a runny nose, scratchy or sore throat, cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache, tiredness, loss of taste or smell, nausea, diarrhoea or muscle aches - to self-isolate and seek COVID19 testing, so cases in the community are identified as quickly as possible.
"It remains essential that everyone maintains social distancing and good hygiene to minimise the risk of spread between people," the spokesperson said.
"People can unwittingly pass COVID-19 to others if they are incubating the virus or have very mild symptoms."
