IT'S BEEN ten months to the day since the last Tamworth local was diagnosed with COVID-19, but a leading public health figure has urged residents to protect the community by getting the jab.
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Hunter New England Health (HNEH) physician Dr David Durrheim told the Leader it was "pleasing" to see cities like Tamworth cruise through months without a local case. But, he warned the "risk of reintroduction" is always there.
"It's fantastic news, but we are not yet protected from COVID and we have not been vaccinated," he said.
"It's too early to abandon those very good and very simple public health measures that keep us safe."
A positive test for the virus has not been recorded in Tamworth since April 17.
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Dr Durrheim said weekly sewage testing during the past several months had also failed to reveal a whiff of coronavirus in Tamworth.
Although the region has remained clear of new clusters, Dr Durrheim said simply living in a country town is not a protection from COVID-19.
He said the approval of the Pfizer vaccine and the provisional approval of the AstraZeneca jab was good news.
"Clearly once there are higher levels of vaccination in cities we will find that there will be a lot freer movement around Australia and the protective borders will come down," Dr Durrheim said.
"And, at some point, international borders will be relaxed and at that point we need to ensure that we will all be protected against COVID.
"The hard-earned gains we have made in Australia - we have all worked together to protect the community and the folks we love - don't throw that away."
We are only going to return to a more normal way of life once we are all protected.
- Dr Dave Durrheim
Dr Durrheim said he believed it was "vital" for all Australians to get the opportunity to be vaccinated.
"We are only going to return to a more normal way of life once we are all protected," he said.
Although Tamworth won't be a top priority at the start of the rollout, Dr Durrheim said hospitals, pharmacies and doctors surgeries in the HNEH area can expect vaccines to arrive.
The 10-month milestone has been marked as Tamworth continues to clock hundreds of COVID-19 tests every week.
Close to 1000 swabs were taken in the week ending January 10, and though the numbers have since dropped, more than 400 people still showed up for screening in the week ending February 14.
"It is wonderful to see people are still presenting for testing," Dr Durrheim said.
Anyone with flu-like symptoms should get tested.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald.
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald.
