Australia suffers its first serious Covid outbreak in an Aboriginal community with 'up to 100' testing positive western NSW as local MP warns: 'It will get WORSE'

Dubbo and Walgett recorded 35 new cases of coronavirus on Monday
Many of the cases are Aboriginal people, with 40 percent kids aged 10-19
Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders said he expected the situation to get worse
In-home testing and door-to-door health messaging was taking place

By Michael Pickering For Daily Mail Australia and Aap

Published: 10:07 BST, 16 August 2021 | Updated: 10:07 BST, 16 August 2021

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Coronavirus is ripping through vulnerable Aboriginal communities in western NSW with up to 100 infected and warnings the worst is yet to come.

Dubbo, about 500km northwest of Sydney, is the epicentre of Australia's first major outbreak among the indigenous population.

The dangerous Delta strain is affecting young indigenous people particularly badly with half those infected being children.

Dubbo and Walgett recorded a combined 35 new cases on Monday, making it 99 active cases in the Western NSW Health District, with 91 of those in Dubbo.

Local MP Dugald Saunders warned the outbreak was just getting started and a serious concern as Covid affects Aboriginals worse than other groups.

'There is no doubt the Dubbo situation is going to get worse before it gets better,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Monday.

Nearly 40 percent of the cases in Western NSW's Aboriginal community are kids aged between 10 and 19

Western Area Health staff at new testing location in West Dubbo as positive cases grow in the area, with 35 new cases recorded in Dubbo and Walgett on Monday

'We'll continue to [see cases] grow in the foreseeable number of days. Most of the positive cases have been infectious in the community.'

Western NSW Local Health District chief executive Scott McLachlan said the outbreak, which jumped from western Sydney to regional NSW, was hitting the area hard.

'The vast majority of cases are Aboriginal and we've got nearly 40 percent of the cases are kids between 10 and 19, so this is a really serious warning for parents and kids running around,' he said.

Just 15 per cent of indigenous Australians are fully vaccinated against coronavirus, and are statistically more likely to become seriously ill.

Of 6,600 people across the Walgett and Bourke local government areas, 13 per cent were fully vaccinated and 34 per cent received one dose.

Mr Saunders said ensuring Covid public health messages about distancing, masks and vaccinations were relayed to the local Aboriginal community was one of the most difficult scenarios facing authorities.

'We've worked collaboratively with health, council and community leaders to provide messaging around that and to reach areas that don't usually receive mainstream media,' he said.

'There is no doubt the Dubbo situation is going to get worse before it gets better,' Dubbo MP Dugald Saunders told Daily Mail Australia

Local Aboriginal leaders are urging the community to stay home despite and not see extended family members

The Dubbo MP said Aboriginal community liaison officers and NSW Police were going door-to-door to help with safety messaging around Covid transmission.

'Our Aboriginal health team have also been out doing in-home testing for those who can't or won't go to testing clinics,' he said.

'For now we actually want people to get tested ahead of vaccination because a lot of people are possibly unwell, and you don't want to jab people when they're unwell.'

More than 25,000 people had been tested in Dubbo in the past five days,

Walgett and Brewarrina Aboriginal Medical Service's acting chief executive Katrina Ward warned the area's primary health network was running short of masks.

'The community is fearful (about the vaccines) and there still is some reluctance, but they are realising that this is the best means of protection we've got,' she told ABC radio.

'I'm very concerned.'

Mr Saunders said if infections rapidly increased in areas such as Bourke and Walgett, people would need to be transported to Dubbo.

'The Royal Flying Doctor Service is geared up and ready to go, and is based here in Dubbo,' he said.

'The hospital in Dubbo is set up and incredibly well resourced so we think we have the facilities to cope.'

Residents queue to be tested at new testing location in West Dubbo - the city entered a snap seven-day lockdown on August 11

Brendon Cutmore, Western NSW Local Health District Director of Aboriginal Health and Wellbeing, told 9News Aboriginal people had to change their usual reaction to a crisis.

'Normally our community response and our family response is that we gather together,' he said.

'We normally take care of each other in the way of pulling everybody together, you know, at nan and pops' house, or at aunty and uncles' home, but right now we've got to do this in a very different way.

'I really need to encourage everybody to stay in their home... Don't go down to nan and pops' house or to aunty and uncles' house to drop anything off to people or to check in. Use the phone, send a text.'

Dubbo entered a snap, seven-day lockdown on August 11.

There are now more than venues of concern across western NSW, including more than 35 locations in Dubbo.