A local resident is concerned that facilities in Gunnedah will be unable to handle the potential treatment of COVID-19 infected people.
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Brian Jeffrey particularly noted the constantly decreasing number of GPs in town.
Mr Jeffrey said if the virus did "spread to rural NSW, there are going to be issues for regional people that are going to be different from city people".
"Gunnedah does have an ageing population, and from what I read, the coronavirus is more deadly to older people," he said.
"I think it is likely to reach a place like Gunnedah ... I just hope Hunter New England Health (HNEH) have got a plan that will work.
"I don't really want to be sent to Christmas Island."
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A HNEH spokesperson said "all hospitals in the Hunter New England Local Health District, including Tamworth and Armidale, are equipped to treat a person with COVID-19".
They said Gunnedah itself had three single rooms where patients could be isolated.
"Hunter New England Local Health District is reviewing and revising its pandemic plan in response to COVID-19," the spokesperson said.
"As part of this, there is enhanced triaging in our emergency departments (EDs), with broad screening of all presenting patients. EDs are also undertaking random drills to ensure staff readiness.
"We are working with all staff to increase attention to hand hygiene, cough etiquette and respiratory preparedness as well as the application of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)."
Everyone should practice good prevention, including staying home and away from other people if you are unwell with respiratory symptoms, using cough etiquette ... and cleaning your hands regularly.
- HNEH spokesperson
The spokesperson said if some facilities were unable to secure medical coverage, contingency plans such as Small Town After Hours were in place.
"Staff in our smaller facilities also have 24/7 support, via Telehealth, from senior medical officers in our larger, networked hospitals for specialised advice and intervention," the spokesperson said.
But Mr Jeffrey said a telephone support network wasn't enough.
"Most people in town would feel they would rather have a face-to-face GP consultation over it rather than a phone conversation to see what there is to do," he said.
"I'm a bit doubtful they have an adequate plan and whether or not it will be effective. Really, all they can do is ... move people away from the town, that's the only solution in my mind to the problem."
The HNEH spokesperson said the best way for locals to protect themselves and their family was to practice good hygiene.
"Everyone should practice good prevention, including staying home and away from other people if you are unwell with respiratory symptoms; using cough etiquette, including covering your coughs and sneezes with your elbow or coughing into a tissue and disposing of it; and cleaning your hands regularly throughout the day with soap and running water for 20 seconds or an alcohol-based hand rub."
More information about the coronavirus can be found via https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/diseases/Pages/coronavirus.aspx which is updated daily.