Several schools have closed on the Border and 51 detections of the virus were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm Wednesday, the Murrumbidgee Local Health District [MLHD] confirmed.

New cases are largely concentrated in southern local government area [LGAs] of Albury, where the outbreak has spread rapidly and with the addition of 48 new cases brings the outbreak total to 120.

The majority of people diagnosed are younger, the MLHD said.

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"A significant amount of current cases are among those aged 12 to 24," the health service said in a statement.

"It is critical those aged 12 and above come forward for vaccination. Vaccination is proven to prevent serious illness of COVID-19 and lower the risk of transmission."

The prevalence of younger cases and, at the other end of the scale, six new detections in an aged care facility, has led to a multi-agency response to the outbreak.

"NSW Health is working closely with the NSW Department of Education, the NSW Early Learning Sector and a private aged care facility to manage the current COVID-19 outbreak in the Albury LGA," MLHD said.

Two of the remaining three cases are residents of the Edward River LGA, and the third is a Greater Hume resident.

The Murrumbidgee region has the third-highest number of new cases, behind South Western Sydney LHD's 80 and the 74 new detections in the Hunter New England LHD.

The interstate, trans-Tasman situation

Sixteen new cases of COVID-19 were found at the Mercy Place aged care centre in Albury, where two people have died with the virus, on Wednesday alone.

"Following testing of residents at Mercy Place Albury, we are saddened to report that a further 14 residents and two staff members at our home have tested positive to COVID-19," a spokeswoman for the centre told The Border Mail.

Three schools on the Border - Lavington Public on the NSW side, and Wodonga South Primary and Wangaratta High across the Murray River - are closed on Thursday due to impacts of the virus.

All students at Wodonga's St Augustine's Primary School are considered close contacts after a case was detected in the community and attended school all last week.

At a tertiary level, the Albury TAFE was closed for two days for deep cleaning after a positive case attended the campus last week.

Murray High School has reopened after closing for deep cleaning.

Several new casual contact exposure sites for Albury and Lavington have been listed by NSW Health.

More on the pandemic

Anyone who has been at the following venues at the specified times must seek a coronavirus test and isolate until a negative result is returned

Common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose and loss of taste or smell.

Other symptoms include fatigue, acute blocked nose (congestion), muscle pain, joint pain, headache, diarrhoea, nausea/vomiting, loss of appetite, unexplained chest pain and conjunctivitis.

Testing locations can be found at mlhd.health.nsw.gov.au or by calling the Murrumbidgee COVID-19 hotline on 1800 831 099.

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