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.

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

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

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.

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

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.