Wilcannia's only supermarket has closed temporarily for deep cleaning after a visit from a COVID-positive resident on the weekend.
The closure came as the total number of cases in the area increased to 39.
The Friendly Grocer – the only sizeable grocery shop within 200 kilometres of the tiny town – had to be sanitised after a woman known to have the virus entered the premises.
"We had an infected person come in, we rung the police, the police have closed the supermarket," owner Tony Sorohan said.
Barrier Police District Superintendent Andrew Spilet said officers acted swiftly to the situation.
"We found that person shortly after that report and she's been interviewed and given a $5,000 infringement for that breach," he said.
Praise for staff
Mr Sorohan said his staff were the unsung heroes of Wilcannia's COVID crisis.
"The staff that I've got have to be congratulated — they're putting their lives at risk and on hold to go to work so that they can service the community," he said.
"If they didn't turn up we wouldn't have a shop — we wouldn't be open.
"If you've got it and you've been told you've got it, stay away."
Food shortage fears
Mr Sorohan said locals could order food over the phone and that Aboriginal Health Service Maari Ma would deliver groceries to the doors of residents in isolation.
He also said as long as his shop had staff willing to work there would always be goods in town.
"There's no shortage of food of any type," he said.
"We source the majority of our product from Adelaide.
"We have four deliveries per week, we have refrigerated and chilled trucks.
Mr Sorohan said residents could "obviously" buy groceries more cheaply in Broken Hill, but pointed out that the cost of travel from Adelaide to Wilcannia was the reason his prices were higher.
Far West infringements
Sixty-three infringement notices have been handed out across the Far West since last Monday.
Superintendent Spilet says penalties greater than $5,000 could be coming for people who did not comply with Public Health Orders.
"We'll continue to do that as we have to," he said.
