Hundreds of families across Western New South Wales are in isolation as the region approaches an expected peak of COVID-19 cases.
The Western New South Wales Local Health District has recorded about 11,500 infections since the pandemic hit the region last year, 9,000 of which came since Christmas.
Courtney Johnson, her partner Chris Bateman and their three-year-old daughter, Vada, are among the estimated 4,000 people in the district who have COVID-19.
She thinks the disease may have entered the family through their daycare provider.
"We got a notification through the app, so we thought we'd just be cautious and get a test," she said.
"It came back negative for our daughter, and then my partner's came back positive, which was quite a shock for us all."
In the following days Ms Johnson and Vada tested positive.
"It was better for us that it was staggered," she said.
"It hit my partner really hard the first couple of days and I was able to manage her … he's getting a bit better now, though still pretty lethargic, and it's hit me quite hard."
Ms Johnson said the messaging from NSW health about how to manage their isolation was confusing.
"It tells us in the messages to get tested on the sixth day and if we're negative and have no symptoms we can leave," she said.
"But now I'm reading on NSW Health Facebook that you don't need to have a test at all, you just need to not be having any symptoms for 24 hours.
"We've been told some symptoms stay around for a little while, like a persistent cough, so when do you say 'OK, I'll just leave without getting a test'?"
Ms Johnson said for that reason the family was likely to continue getting PCR tests.
"I'd feel safer," she said.
Numbers to decline in coming weeks
A further 451 cases were identified in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, the majority of which were in Orange, Dubbo and Bathurst.
Thirty-one people are in hospital and two people are in intensive care.
The Western Local Health District says it hopes daily COVID-19 case numbers will start to level out after Sydney is expected to reach its peak.
Acting chief executive Mark Spittal said the region was expected to lag behind Sydney's peak.
"We are hoping numbers will start to plateau now and there is some early evidence that that is starting to happen," he said.
Hospital resources stretched
Mr Spittal said while the district had capacity in terms of beds, the number of patients being treated in hospital was causing staffing pressure.
"Around about 40, the mid 40s, we really start to lose comfort because of the stress and pressure that's putting on our workers, many of whom are working extremely hard double shifts just to keep things going," he said.
Mr Spittal said the health district was taking advantage of an agreement with private hospitals that had been able to accommodate some non-COVID patients.
He is encouraging parents to arrange vaccination for children over the age of five and to get their booster as soon as they are eligible.
