Goldfields health services urge caution as community braces for COVID spread

Local health authorities are asking locals to only seek treatment at the hospital if they become severely unwell.  (ABC Goldfields: Elsa Silberstein)

Two years into the pandemic, COVID-19 has reached the Goldfields region as Western Australia transitions to living with the virus. 

Local authorities are now putting plans in place with respect to how COVID cases in the community will be reported and treated. 

The WA Health Department confirmed two further exposure sites on Tuesday night, at the Goldfields Oasis Recreation Centre in Somerville and the Niels Hansen Basketball Stadium in Kalgoorlie.

WA Health had previously listed Snap Fitness in South Kalgoorlie, and Central Regional TAFE put out its own alert for an electrical apprenticeship class on Thursday, February 17.

The Kalgoorlie-Boulder Basketball Association President Robert Tagliaferi confirmed a total of four players had returned positive rapid antigen tests.

Three of those have since also returned positive PCR tests.

Two cases were confirmed at mine sites near Kalgoorlie-Boulder last week, one at Evolution Mining’s Mungari site, and another at Mineral Resources’ Mt Marion site near Kambalda.

Both companies have advised all close contacts have since tested negative.

The WA Health Department had confirmed at total of three exposure sites in Kalgoorlie-Boulder as of Tuesday morning. (ABC Goldfields: Jarrod Lucas)

Two cases have also been reported in Jameson (Mantamaru) community in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands, but it’s believed they were contracted across the South Australian border.

Testing and isolating

Cases recorded before 8pm will be included in the following day’s numbers, whereas any recorded after the cut-off will be reported with the following day’s numbers.

Dr Charles Douglas, a public health physician with the WA Country Health Service in the Goldfields, said PCR tests would be recorded automatically, whereas RAT tests need to be reported through the WA Health website.

Dr Douglas said those who returned a positive RAT test did not need to have that confirmed with a PCR test.

Dr Charles Douglas says COVID will be prevalent throughout the community, not just at a handful of exposure sites.  (ABC Goldfields: Sean Tarek Goodwin)

All positive cases, along with household contacts and other close contacts, as defined by the WA Health department, should isolate for seven days.

Confirmed cases can leave isolation if symptoms have subsided, whereas close contacts should return a negative test at the end of that period before leaving isolation.

The physician advised that while exposure sites will be notified through the HealthyWA website, exposure to COVID will likely be a risk throughout the community more generally.

Health worker shortages have impacted hospitals across the state, but Dr Kylie Sterry says local services "are as ready as they'll ever be".  (ABC Goldfields: Elsa Silberstein)

“People really need to be doing all the things that we've stressed for months, if not years now, which is all protection things, lots of hand hygiene wearing a mask, social distancing.”

Most infections will be mild

Dr Kylie Sterry, the Clinical Director of the Goldfields Respiratory Clinic, which was set up to help deal with the pandemic,  said it was important for locals to seek treatment through the GP and medical clinic system if their symptoms were not acute.

Dr Kylie Stery is the Practice Owner at Plaza Medical Centre and Clinical Director at the Goldfields Respiratory Clinic. (Supplied: Goldfields Respiratory Clinic)

“If you're mildly unwell, if you're wanting a swab, if you're just not sure what's going on, I highly encourage people to have telehealth with their GP, or come to the respiratory clinic,” she said.

Dr Sterry said people who were triple immunised should not panic but should exercise sensible caution and be conscious of potentially spreading the virus.

“We are probably going to get COVID, even immunised people are going to get COVID in this pandemic, but if you're triple immunised, you're probably going to get a mild disease,” she said.

“A little bit of anxiety, I think does help people be more mindful wear masks, wash their hands, stay home when they're sick, don't go to work, or go to the shops if you're sick.”

The Respiratory Clinic has been set up to help deal with the pandemic. (ABC Goldfields: Madina Jaffari)

The GP said those who were not up to date with immunisations should take the opportunity to protect not only themselves but more vulnerable people in the community.

“If you've had your booster, you're less likely to end up using a hospital resource that potentially could be used for someone who's maybe got cancer who gets COVID or who's heavily pregnant and gets COVID," Dr Sterry said. 

She acknowledged that, like many placed in the state, health worker shortages has posed a challenge for the Kalgoorlie Health Campus.

“[It’s] a country hospital, our resources aren't unlimited,” she said.

“I think we're probably as ready as we're going to be.”

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