The Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District (ISLHD) has outlined how it is dealing with the current COVID-19 case load in the region.
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On Tuesday night the ISLHD provided details on how the pandemic is currently impacting local hospitals and how it is adapting it's response.
It comes after the district recorded 535 new COVID-19 cases to 8pm on Monday.
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Earlier on Tuesday there were long queues outside the Wollongong Vaccination Centre due to demand and the number of furloughed staff. As the sheer number of cases rise, businesses in the Illawarra were reporting staffing and supply issues.
ISLHD chief executive Margot Mains said the district would adapt its response to COVID-19 in line with case numbers as they rise and fall.
The ISLHD confirmed the number of hospitalisations remains steady with 23 patients with most receiving care within the allocated COVID wards at both Wollongong and Shoalhaven Hospitals. The number is less than the 29 reported by the ISLHD at 11am earlier in the day.
One person is in intensive care as a result of COVID-19.
Ms Mains said, as expected with widespread community transmission and high case numbers, the District was seeing many staff furloughed temporarily.
"The LHD is working around the clock to ensure that all available staff are deployed to areas of highest demand," Ms Mains added.
"To help us better manage their workload, we ask the community to please only use the emergency department for an emergency. We are seeing people coming to Emergency requesting Rapid Antigen Tests. These are not available to the public via ED."
The ISLHD stressed that if there is an increase in cases, specialist teams at both Wollongong and Shoalhaven are prepared.
They said: "Strategies are in place for the safe transition of COVID positive patients into Emergency Departments (EDs) and recently Wollongong Hospital added a clinical area outside its emergency department to further help manage presentations.
"Timely access to PCR test results remains a challenge across NSW. Locally, private testing providers have supported the LHD for the past two years and they continue to work incredibly hard to meet the significantly increased demand. They also continue to work through similar issues with staffing capacity and availability."
The ISLHD reminded the community that the only people getting a PCR (nose and throat swab) should be those who:
- Have COVID-19 symptoms
- Live in a household with a confirmed COVID-19 positive case
- Have been in a venue which NSW Health has advised there has been high transmission.
"I want to assure the community that every available resource within our LHD is currently being utilised in this latest response," Ms Mains said.
"Our staff will continue to do their very best for our patients but we ask the community to please work with us at this challenging time - listen to health messaging and please continue to be patient.
"Staff are facing challenges never seen before because this is a one in 100 year pandemic and there is no rule book.
"On behalf of our all our health workers, I want to again thank the community for its ongoing support."
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