COVID-19 cases in the Wingecarribee Shire stand firm at 25 for the second day.
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The NSW Health and the South West Sydney Public Health Unit have provided fresh figures up to 8pm April 22.
Meanwhile, several of the local Aged Care Facilities, are weighing up the risks and benefits to their residents and staff regarding visitor restrictions.
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Southern Highlands Division of General Practrice spokesman Dr Vince Roche said doctors urged people not forget "how we flattened the curve - by handwashing and staying home!"
"We need to keep this going - for months," he said.
"Can we maintain these safe practices in the absence of the fear and anxiety that we all felt a month ago?"
The latest details are:
- Number of positive cases: 25 - unchanged
- Proportion under age 55: half
- Proportion or no of positives due to overseas travel/cruise ships/known contacts: "almost all" (exact numbers are confidential)
- Number of local cases who have required admission to a SWSLHD hospital: - two (but not admitted to Bowral Hospital)
- Number of resolved cases: approximately two thirds (based on SWS data rather than Wingecarribee data)
- Number of community acquired cases in the Highlands: - nil
- Number of health care workers in Southern Highlands with CV19: - nil
- Number of at risk communities in Southern Highlands (eg nursing homes, boarding schools, indigenous communities) of concern as CV19 Hotspot: - nil
- Number of local cases by postcode: 2575 ten; 2576 nine; 2577 five; 2578 one; 2579 none.
- South West Sydney data (not just Wingecarribee) : number of infected patients 243, number of infected patients in hospital 12, number in home isolation: 61, no in ICU 3, no of deaths 3, no of recovered patients 164 (updated yesterday).
Community Advice
Doctors urge people to "keep up the normal care".
Dr Roche said there was significant concern among doctors about the decrease in "normal care"- whether paediatrics, antenatal, conditions where patients truly needed to be seen in the Emergency Department or in the case of GP care, people with chronic and complex illness (eg heart disease, lung disease, diabetes) - where anecdotally there had been a large reduction in people keeping their appointments and an increase in cancelled appointments.
"Normal Care needs to continue throughout the epidemic," he said.
"Some may be done by telehealth - but much will involve face-to-face appointments with doctors and midwives."
Flu Vaccination
General Practices now have received their second batch of flu vaccines .
Dr Roche said this was highly recommended as "we still have the usual influenza bugs circulating - and people weakened by the flu are a sitting target for a severe dose of COVID-19."
"This is a good year to have one. Make sure the old folk get theirs first," he said.
"But do not wait weeks or months. If you don't normally have a flu vaccine - this is the year to do it.
"And if your GP Clinic is out of vaccine - it is not their fault - please do not abuse the staff - the Public Health Unit gives it to the General Practices as soon as they get the vaccines from the manufacturers, and they will soon be restocked."
Bowral Hospital Flu Assessment Clinic
Hours of Business are:
- Weekdays - 10am to 5.30pm
- Weekends - 10:30am to 3pm
- Phone No - 4861 0145
Dr Roche said the Flu Assessment Clinic continues to run smoothly.
"We recommend all people who feel that they need to be screened should talk to their GP by telephone first," he said.
"People do not require a referral from their GP to attend the BDH Flu Assessment Clinic, but they prefer GP Clinics do the first line of triage.
"Screening criteria have changed - often on a day-by-day basis- and these changes that are inevitable as the epidemic progresses.
"As the epidemic progresses into the next phase - community transmission - GPs are doing more testing for Covid19 to test any members of the public with a fever or respiratory symptoms, and especially any Health Care or Aged Care workers with a fever or respiratory symptoms."
"The direct phone number for the flu clinic is 4861 0145 and enquiries will be answered during hours of operation only.
In addition, there is a new Commonwealth-funded General Practice Respiratory Clinic opened in Mittagong this week.
The clinic is located in the lower level of Mittagong HealthCare Centre, 58 Bowral Road, Mittagong.
It is open 9am to 5pm seven days a week.
Dr Roche said the clinics are designed to assess patients with mild-to-moderate respiratory symptoms including fever, sore throat, cough, tiredness and shortness of breath.
"Regardless of whether COVID-19 testing is indicated, or a specimen is taken, the patient will receive clinical guidance about managing their respiratory symptoms through the clinic," he said.
"Patients must have an appointment before attending the clinic.
Patients can make an appointment online via HotDoc and there will be no charge to the patient. To set up an appointment, patients can also phone the clinic directly for triage, call HealthDirect or be referred by their GP.
"Referring GPs will receive a copy of the pathology results.
Bowral Hospital
All staff and visitors to the hospital are being screened for infection risk with a questionnaire and a temperature test as they enter the hospital.
Limit is one visitor per patients and the new restricted visiting hours are 10am-11am, and 4:30pm to 5:30pm.
The only entrance to the hospital for staff and visitors is via the Milton Park Front Door.
Elective surgery remains on hold at this time.
Dr Roche pointed out that NSW premier Gladys Berijiklian had announced that there would be a limited reintroduction of some elective surgery after the Anzac Weekend - with Category Two and some category Three patients.
"This is likely to involve both Bowral District Hospital and the Southern Highlands Private Hospital," he said.
"We shall keep you informed of developments."
Registered Aged Care Facilities
All of our Registered Aged Care Facilities in the Highlands confirmed that they remain closed to all visitors, including families.
Dr Roche said the exception was for 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 old folk are starting to really miss the interaction with their families and visitors.
"GPs are doing as much of their care by phone, fax, Skype, Facetime, Zoom, etc as possible!
"Aged Care facilities are working closely with GPs and the Hospital to provide the most appropriate and timely care to residents - and to keep them away from the hospital and the Emergency Department with grave risks to elderly people in a possible COVID exposed environment.
"Comments by the Prime Minister Scott Morrison yesterday foreshadowed some changes on recommendations to Aged Care Facilities re visitors.
"Several of our local Aged Care Facilities, after carefully weighing up the risks and benefits to their residents and staff, have sent residents and their families letters today discussing the measures taken at each facility," he said.
"This is understandable considering the terrible results of COVID-19 infection getting into several Aged Care Facilities in Sydney."
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