The WA Country Health Service (WACHS) says regional COVID patients who become critically ill and need to be placed on ventilators will be transferred to Perth for treatment.
WACHS recently met with doctors and healthcare providers in the state's Mid West to discuss a co-ordinated approach for coping with a local outbreak, once WA's borders re-open on February 5.
Dr Helen Van Gessel, the COVID response lead for WACHS, said the team had been monitoring the COVID situation in the eastern states, where the hospitalisation rate for those with the Omicron variant is lower than for other strains of the virus.
She said she expected up to 90 per cent of cases in WA would be managed at home.
"Only about five in 1,000 [cases] with Omicron will need to be in hospital," she said.
"Most people that get infected will be able to stay at home and look after themselves like they would with the flu.
"So, if we have a high-risk person and they start to show signs of deterioration, our preference would be the same as it is with most illnesses we treat, which is to get them to an intensive care facility earlier rather than later."
COVID modelling needed for plans
The state government is yet to release its modelling on the potential impact of the Omicron variant.
However, Midwest GP Network spokesman Dr Ian Taylor said there could be up to 100 new cases in Geraldton per day once the state re-opened to the rest of Australia.
But Dr Van Gessel said WACHS had not received any data on the number of expected cases.
"And that's why I've been looking at the South Australia [outbreak].
"One thing they've identified is the number of cases can be reduced by up to 50 per cent through public health measures, like mask wearing indoors, and restrictions in nightclubs and hospitality venues."
COVID testing facilities at the Geraldton hospital have been moved from the emergency department to a separate building on the health campus.
Late last year, National Cabinet changed the definition of a close contact to someone who has spent four hours or more with a confirmed case in a household or household-like setting.
This change has not yet been introduced in WA.
Dr Van Gessel said WACHS could not finalise its COVID plans until the state government had revealed any planned changes to testing protocols and public health measures.
"We're still waiting for the details of what that's going to look like… but the preparation is going well."
Air purifiers to be used regionally
WACHS has purchased about 250 portable air purifiers with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters to help limit the spread of COVID-19 in regional hospitals.
"They're like portable air-conditioning units that can remove the virus from the air around a patient," Dr Van Gessel said.
The Geraldton hospital will also have access to a 'ready room' — a pop-up tent that can be used to isolate an infected patient in the emergency department.
