Public health team keeps regional community safe during the pandemic

​Since March 2020, Assistant Director Greg Bell and his team of public health staff at the North Coast Public Health Unit (NCPHU) in Lismore, supporting the Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD), have been working on the region's COVID-19 response.

In the early stages of the pandemic in 2020, the region saw 58 positive cases, with a total of 68 cases now recorded to date. The team has responded with a multi-faceted approach.

Positive cases were followed up by the Clinical Response Team, a group of Communicable Disease nurses who sought vital information about the person's health, where they'd been and who they may have been in contact with while infectious. Details were entered into a central reporting system, where the information is stored for all cases across NSW.

'The Public Health Unit followed up cases and made sure they were being managed well,' Mr Bell said.

'Health officers made daily phone calls to people who tested positive and were self-isolating at home and also spoke with their close contacts.'

As well as following up COVID-positive cases, the Public Health Unit provided advice to the general public, through their 1300 enquiry line, which at its peak in late April 2020, was receiving up to 250 calls a day.

'We had a team of five or six staff who triaged the calls and referred people in the right direction, whether directing them to other agencies, or providing the latest advice on control measures such as physical distancing regulations and travel restrictions,' Mr Bell said.

Fast forward to March 2021, and members of the public are able to access the National Coronavirus Helpline, which has greatly reduced the number of calls to the Public Health Unit.

This has freed up local staff to continue their valuable work of responding to urgent COVID-19 matters.

Away from the central hub of the office, Environmental Health Officers are often out in the field, helping communities to implement solutions and changes to stay safe from COVID-19. This can include working with Aboriginal communities, local councils or businesses to put social distancing measures in place, or advising on signage or access issues to public spaces.

While the District hasn't had a locally acquired case since the end of July 2020, the team continues planning for possible future cases and helping local businesses with their COVID-19 Safety Plans.

'The Public Health Unit is continually refining its pandemic response planning, with the help of epidemiologists, Janet Terry and Kazi Rahman,' Mr Bell said.

'Their role involves looking at the health trends for the whole population, which takes in modelling and statistical analysis to help prepare for future events.

With the easing of restrictions in Greater Sydney and across regional NSW, and the imminent availability of vaccines in the region, the Public Health Unit's immunisation team is working closely with the Local Health District planning for the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination program.

'Our team has risen to what has been a challenging year and they've done an amazing job. This has been one of the busiest periods our unit has experienced. They've worked extremely hard and I am very proud of them,' Mr Bell said.