A detection of COVID-19 fragments in the sewage of Griffith last week raised the alarm about threat of a potential outbreak in the MIA.
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While a second test has returned a negative result, concerns remain about what happens if cases do begin to appear and once NSW moves towards re-opening later next month.
Murrumbidgee Local Health District has prepared a plan which will see the region's major hospital's Griffith Base and Wagga Base provide treatment for COVID-19 patients.
MLHD CEO Jill Ludford outlined a plan for patients to isolate at safely isolate at home and receive treatment and health checks. For people who can't safely isolate at home, there is supported accommodation.
Ms Ludford said if patients' conditions deteriorated they would be taken to hospital. She said facilities with residential aged care services would not be used to for COVID patients.
On Monday, MLHD's executive medical services director Len Bruce encouraged residents to get vaccinated and if they have even the mildest of symptoms, to get tested.
"Please don't try and save us from a lockdown, go have a test," he said.
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Member for Murray Helen Dalton is concerned the district's health services will soon become overwhelmed, with the inquiry into Health outcomes and access to health and hospital services in rural, regional and remote NSW highlighting numerous issues.
Mrs Dalton, who pushed for an inquiry into regional health after being elected, had encouraged people to share their experiences.
"They're absolutely overwhelmed with submissions, over 700 of them," she said.
She said for a time she was receiving almost daily calls from health staff worried about staffing, resources and more in the region's hospitals.
"They're too frightened to say anything publicly because they will be bullied out of the system," she said.
A spreadsheet of information will be given to the inquiry when it meets virtually next month. Mrs Dalton said there was a risk that someone from Sydney who is double vaccinated could spread the virus in regional NSW.
"We don't have a negative pressure room in Griffith Base Hospital, no full-time doctor at Leeton (hospital) and only six ventilators in the Murray electorate and I don't know if we have the nurses with the skills to operate them," she said.
"It's not the fault of the staff, they were overwhelmed and overworked before (COVID)."
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Mayor Paul Maytom said with a number of COVID-19 sewage detections in Griffith, Temora and Young, it was a worthwhile reminder to wear a mask, ensure safe distances from others and maintain good hand hygiene.
Councillor Maytom said many in Leeton were following the rules of checking in, and measures such as visitor restrictions at Leeton District Hospital would help.
"I think we're doing the right thing, just about everyone is complying with wearing a mask," he said.
"I haven't been anywhere where I've seen any breaches of restrictions."
In addition to sewage testing, Cr Maytom said he felt comfortable with where Leeton was placed as pandemic rules ease.
He said the level of vaccine coverage in Leeton, as well as the region was encouraging and expected to eventually reach a level over 80 per cent.
"What we should be doing is encouraging people to get vaccinated so we have less spread of COVID in our region," Cr Maytom said.
"It's not my job to tell people to get vaccinated, but if we get to that high level of vaccination, we'll have a strong level of protection."
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