The Guardian, 30 August 2021:
The federal government was warned 18 months ago of the urgent need to protect the Covid-hit town of Wilcannia, leaked correspondence seen by Guardian Australia shows, with an Aboriginal health service pleading for immediate help at the time to prevent an outbreak.
The Maari Ma Aboriginal health corporation wrote to the Indigenous Australians minister, Ken Wyatt, in March 2020, outlining “grave fears” for the far western New South Wales town if Covid were to spread to the vulnerable population there.
“Warnings from around the world are clear: the earlier we prepare and act, the better the outcomes will be. We cannot wait until the first case turns up in the community, or worse, the first hospital case presents,” the letter said.
“Basic mathematics says that by the time our first hospital patient presents, around 100 cases will already exist in the community, and this is based on best case modelling.”
The health service says its warnings appear to have been ignored, with no “tangible plan” put in place.
As of Monday, Wilcannia had recorded 69 coronavirus cases in a population of 720, the highest transmission rate in NSW.
A second letter from the health service, also seen by the Guardian, was sent last week to Scott Morrison, calling on him to take control of the “unfolding humanitarian crisis” in Wilcannia.
It said contrary to assurances by Gladys Berejiklian that the situation was under control, it was in fact “chaotic, and the mistakes and problems are mounting”.
“We do our work quietly, and try to fly under the radar of media and public attention as much as possible,” the letter to the prime minister said. “We cannot, however, sit quietly while the catastrophe in the Far West, and western NSW more broadly, continues to unfold.”
The second letter was copied to the NSW premier and the federal health minister, Greg Hunt..
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| The remote town of Wilcannia has been ravaged by the Covid outbreak in NSW. Photograph: Chris Graham/New Matilda |
.....Maari Ma has confirmed the contents of the letter, and that it was sent in March last year. Friday’s letter to the prime minister was also copied to several other state and federal politicians.
In that second letter, Maari Ma laid out its frustrations that its warnings to the federal government had been ignored. It said it had also written to Berejiklian last year.
“Disappointingly, no tangible plan was in place prior to this outbreak that could have been easily implemented. As a result, we’ve been playing catch up from day one,” it said.
“Our systems and services are ill-prepared, actions are too slow to be implemented, our responses have been sub standard, existing resources and expertise is not sufficient, new resources and expertise (for example the Army and Ausmat) are not being used to their full potential.”
Read the full article here.
March 2020 Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation letter to the Australian Minister for Indigenous Australians & Liberal MP for Hasluck Ken Wyatt.
Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation letter addressed to the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Hon Ken... by clarencegirl on Scribd
As of last Tuesday, it was reported that the predominately Aboriginal resident population of Wilcannia township in the Far West Local Health District had recorded 73 locally acquired COVID-19 cases in a population of 720, the highest transmission rate in NSW.
According to The Guardian on 31 August 2021:
The peak group representing all Aboriginal health services in NSW said both governments’ response to the Covid outbreak in the west of NSW “is becoming a joke”.
Aboriginal health groups met with the head of the federal government’s Covid vaccination program Lt Gen John Frewen on Monday afternoon to discuss a national Indigenous vaccine strategy, but the NSW Aboriginal health and medical research council was surprised there was not already a strategy in place.
Closer to home.......
In a media release on 31 August 2021, the Northern NSW Local Health District advised:
NSW Health is investigating whether there are any potential venues of concern in Northern NSW after a person tested positive to COVID-19 several days after visiting the Casino area.
This person is not a resident of Northern NSW Local Health District and is no longer in the area.
At this stage, NSW Health can confirm the case was infectious in the community on Saturday 21 August, and investigations are continuing.
NSW Health will announce any close contact locations if and when they are determined.
As a precautionary measure, a mobile testing clinic is being set up at Muli Muli Aboriginal community on Wednesday 1 September. People in this community are urged to come forward for testing if they have symptoms of COVID-19 or are concerned they may have come into contact with the case.
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