Grafton Covid outbreak: Mayor’s concern over lack of testing facilities

Grafton’s leaders don’t want the town to be forgotten as it enters its worst Covid outbreak of the pandemic.

Until last week, the Grafton area had recorded three positive cases of Covid-19 – the last of which was detected on March 27, 2020.

That 18-month streak ended on October 6 when four positive cases were recorded by NSW Health – just five days before the state’s much heralded “freedom day”.

But instead of going into lockdown like neighbouring town Casino had when it recorded half as many cases less than a week earlier, Grafton residents have remained free.

The town registered its 23rd new case on Tuesday night as 600 staff and students from a major public school were told to stay home and isolate for a fortnight.

With only two testing centres in Grafton, one closed at the weekend and the other with long lines on hot or wet days, many in the community are wondering if the state government has forgotten about the area.

Clarence Valley Council Mayor Jim Simmons said the state government should have provided more testing clinics in the previous week to assist the community through its worst period of the pandemic.

“I’d have done it yesterday, very quickly indeed,” he said.

Clarence Valley Council mayor Jim Simmons is concerned over a different approach to vaccination and Covid-19 infections between the bush and the city. Picture: Adam Hourigan

Mr Simmons said he was frustrated by a disconnect between the effort to fight the pandemic in the city and in the bush.

“The state government has given every opportunity to local government areas in the Sydney population to reach their required level of first and second jabs – whether it’s through pop up venues and that sort of thing,” he said.

“And they’re fine … but in the bush they haven’t had the same opportunities provided by the state governments.

“I think they need to offer help to country areas to get up to that percentage.”

Mr Simmons was concerned by news of school students testing positive to the virus.

NSW Health on Tuesday ordered more than 600 staff and students at South Grafton Public School into 14 days of isolation.

“It’s worry, it’s bloody terrible really,” he said.

“You turn on the television, and with regard to Covid, everything is Sydney oriented, there’s nothing about the bush, nothing about the country.

“We need the state government to help and get their act together in the bush.”

Mr Simmons said he was also worried for businesses who may be forced to close due to new vaccination mandates for non-essential businesses.

“Before October 11, everyone could login to a shop and go in and now you have to be double vaccinated,” he said.

“For most councils in rural and regional NSW, it’s only just above 50 per cent to get the jab … and I think a lot of those shops will find it very difficult to even stay open between now and the end of November.”

Mr Simmons said while the area hadn’t had the virus for a long time, it was something that was due to happen.

“I just think the state government needs to get in and provide the facilities to increase the rate of testing and Covid jabs,” he said.

The Northern NSW Health Service on Wednesday announced that a drive-through testing facility would be opened on Thursday to increase capacity at Hawthorne Park in South Grafton.

Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said he contacted health authorities over lack of testing facilities for Grafton.

Member for Clarence Chris Gulaptis said he said he reached out to Northern NSW Local Health District acting chief executive Lynne Weir several times over the weekend to see what could be done to increase the testing capacity after hearing of South Grafton Public School’s positive cases.

“I had heard that people were queuing, there was concern and people were panicking a little bit and talked about a drive-through clinic,” he said.

“She said they couldn’t arrange it that day because it was such short notice, but did say they would put on additional staff at the fever clinic.

“I’m not sure it was adequate given the number of people that came forward for testing.”

Mr Gulaptis said the health service told him that the health service had been investigating a site for a drive-through clinic identified by the council but it wasn’t appropriate as it didn’t provide a hardstand, or toilet facilities.

Mr Gulaptis said he wasn’t able to determine whether or not Grafton should go into lockdown.

Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis encouraged people in the community to get vaccinated and follow health orders.

He said it was up to NSW Health to determine that on the extent of the outbreak and the risk it posed to the broader community.

He said he would like to see a walk-in vaccination clinic added to the area as well as the drive-through testing facility, a message he said he was taking to his colleagues in Sydney.

“We shouldn’t be forgotten,” Mr Gulaptis said.

“Clearly we need to have testing and vaccination facilities just as people in the city do.”

He said he could understand people’s frustrations.

“When you have a Covid outbreak, your level of concern rises and rightly so because it is a killer and we need to protect ourselves and that’s what the government has done with the public health orders,” he said.

“The best way to protect ourselves is through vaccinations and following public health orders and that’s what I encourage everyone to do.”