The tiny community of Enngonia in Northwest NSW is in mourning following the death of an Elder, who passed away in Dubbo Hospital after contracting COVID-19.
Her death was confirmed by the Western Local Health District on Monday.
“Tragically we’ve been notified of the death of another patient with COVID-19,” said CEO Scott McLachlan.
“This is a lady in her 70’s from Enngonia, an Aboriginal woman, who unfortunately was unvaccinated.
“Our sincere thoughts and sympathies go out to the family, friends and broader community. We know this is an incredibly tight-knit community in Enngonia and surrounding communities.
“A tragic day in Western New South Wales.”
“A really sad day for a little place like Enngonia to lose one of their much-loved Elders up there,” said Western NSW Police Commander Geoff McKechnie.
The small isolated community, which is an hour’s drive from the nearest hospital in Bourke, has less than 200 residents in the town with almost half the population Indigenous.
There are 21 active cases of the virus in the town, while six new cases were announced in Bourke on Monday.
Scott McLachlan urged the community to continue to follow health advice to prevent further spread of the virus.
"This is a very sombre reminder of the tragic outcomes that can happen when people get COVID,” he said.
“We know it’s going to be a very sad time, a period of mourning, but please try and minimise contact with other community members at the moment.
“We don’t want to see more people contracting COVID and ending up with a really serious illness.”
The Western NSW Region recorded 44 new cases of the virus, making a total of 831 since the beginning of the outbreak in mid-June.
