Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders says everywhere across the state is concerned about the escalating number of COVID-19 cases, but it was a situation "we probably had to be thinking about" for the past 12 months.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
He said it was why there had been a "clear message" about getting double vaccinated and now getting a booster shot.
"So it's not an unexpected scenario where we would think that numbers would rise," he said.
Another 186 new COVID-19 infections were recorded at Dubbo in the 24 hours to 8pm on Wednesday, a significant portion of the 524 cases in the entire Western NSW Local Health District.
The state recorded another 34,994 new cases in the same period and another six people died, amid the emergence of the Omicron strain of the virus.
Mr Saunders urged "personal responsibility".
"So you know what's best for you, wear a mask when you're going anywhere where there are crowds of people," he said.
"Sign-in with your QR code so you'll be notified when there are actually cases where you've been and monitor for symptoms.
"If you're feeling unwell, don't go out and about.
"If you have access to a rapid antigen test, do it, but you don't really need to do it every day, unless you've got access to them.
"If you are feeling unwell, you know you are unwell, so isolate yourself, and keep the rest of your family and the community safe as much as you can.
"So I think that idea of personal responsibility, which is something I've talked about the entire way through the Delta part of the pandemic, when things were feeling really, really ordinary."
Dubbo was in lockdown from August 11, the start of an outbreak of the Delta strain of COVID-19, until October 11, but the MP did not wish to see it repeated.
Mr Saunders said the state could not "go backwards from here" because all parts of the business sector, including agriculture, small, medium and large businesses would "not cope".
"The economy will crumble if we start going backwards," he said.
Mr Saunders urged people to make booster shots a focus.
"That's the thing I would encourage people to actually start looking now at when you had your second shot, and try to make those arrangements with your GP with one of the health clinics, or with a local pharmacist around getting that booster," he said.
"Because we know particularly for Omicron, it's not having the same impact, particularly if you've had that booster shot.
"So really, really important that people do that."