Shire of Augusta-Margaret River president Paula Cristoffanini urges residents to caution amid Omicron outbreak

Shire president Paula Cristoffanini has urged residents against complacency in the face of WA’s growing Omicron outbreak. With a growing clusters of cases confirmed in Bunbury this week and numerous exposure sites in the Capes region in recent weeks, Cr Cristoffanini said residents should refer to expert advice and consider COVID-19 an inevitability. It comes as Shire of Augusta-Margaret River leaders this week negotiated for a Clinipath centre to be established in Margaret River to take the strain off those seeking testing at local hospitals. The Times also understands local doctors from the Margaret River Hospital management group have met with the Shire to discuss an action plan and key messaging to support residents needing care while infected at home. The move was designed to take the pressure off the Augusta and Margaret River hospitals for less serious cases, but the Times understands anyone needing intensive care would still be ferried to Bunbury. Cr Cristoffanini said she had already deferred unnecessary travel, stopped shaking hands, abided by mask requirements and used hand sanitiser wherever possible. “I’m very concerned we’ve got COVID-19 on our doorstep and we don’t know what that’s going to look like,” she said. “We are not far from Perth and people are travelling. “All you can do is refer to the official sources of information and follow the advice. We need to be together in this.” The president did not believe the region’s reputation as a hotspot for vaccine objection was reflected in vaccination statistics, nor that it would worsen community exposure. “We live in a small community. I would hope our community would pull together no matter what,” she said. “I understand there are some people who have a different view.” She hoped the resilience of residents during last month’s Calgardup fires would be reflected in facing Omicron. “I felt so incredibly proud of our community,” Cr Cristoffanini said. “There was no panic. There was a lot of preparedness.” A WA Country Health Service spokeswoman said preparations for an outbreak were well advanced, but was unable to offer specific information on emergency protocols for Augusta and Margaret River before deadline. Last year, the Times reported concerns among senior local doctors that the South West health system was over-reliant on transfers to Bunbury for significant incidents. Australian Medical Association WA president Mark Duncan-Smith this week called for low-level restrictions to prevent further spread of the virus.