Testing for coronavirus may soon take place in popular areas like shopping centres and main streets as the Western NSW Local Health District tries to prepare for more cases in the region.
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The LHD currently has no active cases of COVID-19, but chief executive Scott McLachlan said he has "absolutely no doubt" there will be more in the coming weeks.
"It will be back in western NSW," Mr McLachlan said.
"I'm sure we've got cases in western NSW right now that we just haven't identified."
Anyone with a runny nose, sore throat or fever is urged to get tested. And Mr McLachlan is hoping mobile testing units will help the health district to stay vigilant.
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He said planning was already under way for a mobile testing team and they were expected to be established in the coming weeks.
"That may be at a shopping centre, that might be at a gathering place, it might be down the main street," Mr McLachlan said.
"We know the emergency departments, general practitioners and respiratory clinics are a good solution, but the next step for us is being really proactive and making sure we know where the virus is in our community."
Fast track testing kits have also been sent to Dubbo and Orange.
"It means within two hours we can get a rapid test done on people who we're really concerned about, whether they're healthcare workers or community members. That'll roll out further in coming weeks," the chief executive said.
"There are bigger supplies coming into NSW and Australia so I'm really confident that if people come in, we've got enough testing kits."
There have been 45 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the LHD. Of those, 10 were in the Orange local government area, nine in Bathurst, six in Dubbo and another six in the Mid-Western region.
While there are currently no active cases, Mr McLachlan says there were some "risky times in front of us".
"There are some steps in front of us that are going to be some really complex, critical decisions. What do we relax and when?" he said.
"We've got to be really cautious about the things we do as a community, the steps we take to keep social distancing, sneezing into your arm, still washing your hands, using hand sanitiser."
Mr McLachlan said now was the time to stay vigilant.
"It's only a cough or a sneeze away from transmitting right around our region and this is the time to be really on top of this virus," he said.
However, the chief executive said the steps taken over the weekend, which allowed two adults and their kids to visit another household, made a lot of sense. He said they were particularly important for anyone who had been struggling across the past few months.
The health district's biggest message is for people to continue to come forward if they have any coronavirus symptoms.
"We're begging people, if you've got any symptoms - a sniffly nose, a sore throat or just a bit of a fever - please come forward and get tested," Mr McLachlan said.
"There's a lot of opportunities and places to go to get tested for COVID-19: your local hospital, your general practitioner or to some of the Primary Health Network's respiratory clinics. They're available 24/7 across the whole of our region so please don't hesitate if you do feel sick."
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