Caravan convoy arrives in Wilcannia where one in seven have contracted COVID

A motorcade of caravans to help vulnerable people in overcrowded housing isolate safely has arrived in Wilcannia, where more than 13 per cent of the total population has contracted COVID-19.

The number of cases in the remote far western NSW town has climbed to 97. There are only 745 people living in the community in total, and more than 60 per cent of them are Indigenous.

The motorhomes will be used to isolate people away from their homes to avoid household spread of the virus.Credit:Rhett Wyman/SMH.

As case numbers in the town continue to climb, 30 motorhomes will open at the local caravan park on Monday.

The park will serve as a quarantine site for people who live in overcrowded housing to isolate away from their families, to try and stop household spread of the virus.

While western NSW recorded 38 new cases, local MP Dugald Saunders said he was worried by a downward trend in the number of people getting tested.

“Just over 3500 tests for the entire region [on Friday], so again not a great number, it’s something we’ve talked about now for at least a week, that we need to see those numbers going up,” he said.

“Weather is a bit murky across the weekend, so we’re hoping that will encourage you to come forward if you have even the mildest of symptoms.”

Wiradjuri man and pharmacist Kaail Bohm urged the community to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated.Credit:Nick Moir/SMH.

The state’s far west and Orana region, which includes both Wilcannia and Dubbo, has the lowest full vaccination rate of Indigenous people in New South Wales at just 13 per cent.

Dubbo pharmacist Kaail Bohm, a Wiradjuri man who grew up in Narromine, urged people to get the jab as soon as possible.

“My preference on a vaccine is purely this: what can I get now?” he said. “I have had Pfizer … but I’ve jabbed my family members with AstraZeneca, I feel comfortable and safe with both options.”

Mr Bohm said his pharmacy had administered more than 1,000 jabs in its first week of offering COVID-19 vaccinations.

“This situation has only highlighted the importance of what I can be doing as an Indigenous man to try and debunk myths and get the best health information out there,” he said.

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