The latest information regarding COVD-19 from the Southern Highlands Division of General Practice is as follows:
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- Number of positive cases: 17 (up 1 since March 30)
- Proportion or no of positives due to overseas travel / cruise ships/known contacts: 16
- Number of local cases who have required admission to hospital: - 1 (but not admitted to Bowral Hospital)
- Number of resolved cases: - not known (still too early to know) Number of community acquired cases in the Highlands: - 1
- Number of health care workers in Southern Highlands with CV19: - 0 (There is a new diagnosis of a health care worker in elsewhere in South West Sydney - a huge concern).
- Number of at risk communities in Southern Highlands (eg nursing homes, boarding schools) of concern as CV19 Hotspot: - 0 (There is an aged care facility in South West Sydney (Bankstown) with 4 cases)
Division spokesman Dr Vince Roche said all of our the Registered Aged Care Facilities in the Highlands confirmed that they remain closed to all visitors.
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This includes being closed to families, with the exception of emergencies and palliative care patients.
"All these nursing homes are putting measures in place to facilitate their residents talking with their families by phone, Skype, FaceTime etc to minimise the distress that isolation causes both residents and families," he said.
"The Flu Assessment Clinic continues to run smoothly.
"Locals are reminded that only people who meet the NSW Health Guidelines will be screened - don't just rock up because you are anxious.
"We recommend all people who feel that they need to be screened should talk to their GP by telephone first.
"If someone feels that they need testing and do not meet the guidelines for testing, they or their doctor will need to talk to the local Public Health Unit in Liverpool."
Dr Roche said advanced planning continued to take place with Bowral Hospital, Southern Highlands Private Hospital, South West Sydney Public Health Unit and South West Sydney Local Health District, as well as with local doctors, aged care facilities, pharmacies and other health professional.
He said extensive plans were being put into place to try to keep non-infected people out of the hospital Emergency Department.
"We are formulating new models of care for people with medical, surgical, orthopaedic and minor trauma /injuries, and new models of care for people in Aged Care Homes who fall sick or are injured in falls," he said.
Though for the day is the same as the thought for yesterday: "The virus does not spread by itself. Only we can spread the virus! ....or not."
Social isolation and frequent hand washing are the only antidote - and there is an early indication that this is starting to make a difference.
Stay at home unless you are an essential worker. This is going to be critical in the next couple of weeks - this is where the battle will be won or lost!
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