THE Wheatbelt now has two positive Covid-19 cases – one in Cunderdin and one in Goomalling.
From 6pm yesterday it became mandatory for people in the Wheatbelt and the Great Southern to mask up while in indoor public settings.
The mask rule will also apply to anyone who has been in these regions since January 20 and has since travelled to another region.
Premier Mark McGowan and Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson made the announcement after the first positive case was identified in the Wheatbelt on Wednesday.
They said as more Covid-19 cases and exposure sites were being detected outside of the Perth, Peel and South-West regions there were concerns further cases would be identified in the coming days.
Masks must be worn in all indoor public settings, including in vulnerable settings such as aged care facilities and hospitals – usual exemptions apply.
The Department of Health is working through reported cases and is in the process of identifying close and casual contacts and additional exposure sites.
People are asked to check the exposure sites list regularly and monitor their health and get tested immediately and self-quarantine, if they develop symptoms.
Shire of Gingin residents who have visited any of the exposure sites during the times listed can attend public clinics such as Joondalup Hospital PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA, car park 4, Regents Park Rd, Joondalup or Midland COVID-19 testing clinic, PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA, 1 Clayton St, Midland.
Wheatbelt (Western) Testing Clinics:
- Beverley Health Service (08) 9646 3200 1 Sewell St,
- Beverley Cunderdin Health Centre (08) 9635 2222 55 Lundy Ave,
- Cunderdin Dalwallinu Health Service (08) 9661 0200 Myers St,
- Dalwallinu Goomalling Health Service (08) 9629 0100 52 Forrest St,
- Goomalling Northam Health Service (08) 9690 1300 50 Robinson St,
- Northam Wongan Hills Health Service (08) 9691 1222 Lot 199 Ackland St,
- Wongan Hills Wyalkatchem-Koorda Health Service (08) 9692 1222, 9 Honour,
- Wyalkatchem York Health Service (08) 9641 0200 9 Trews Rd, York
All testing clinics details and their opening times are available on the HealthyWA website.
Meanwhile, Opposition Regional Health spokesman Martin Aldridge said Merredin District Hospital would face increased pressure following the expiry of funding for a local nurse practitioner, and more recently, confirmation of a Covid-19 exposure site in the community. Mr Aldridge said he wrote to the Health Minister in December requesting urgent assistance to retain a nurse practitioner in the eastern Wheatbelt after learning funding for the role would expire on December 31.
“With Covid-19 already in our community, low regional vaccination uptake, and the immense difficulty of recruiting healthcare workers to regional WA, now is not the time to reduce services in the Wheatbelt,” he said.
Today WA Health reported nine new cases of locally-transmitted Covid-19.
Yesterday WA Health reported 10 new local cases and two travel-related cases with the 10 local cases linked to the current Omicron outbreak.
- On Saturday, January 29 WA Health said of the 22 new local cases reported one was from the Wheatbelt with the new case for this cluster not infectious in the community. But WA Health is still urging anyone with symptoms in the Wheatbelt to be tested immediately and isolate until they receive a negative result or are advised otherwise by WA Health, following yesterday’s report of a confirmed Covid-19 case in the region.
