No cases of influenza have been notified in Orange in the last 29 days, however people are urged not to be complacent with cases expected to increase as coronavirus restrictions continue to ease.
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A Western NSW Local Health District spokesperson said out of 64 cases in the district so far this year, only 12 were from the Orange local government area and none were in the past 29 days.
The numbers are significantly lower than the same time last year, when there were 704 influenza cases notified in the health district, of which 166 were in Orange.
The spokesperson said the lower influenza levels across NSW likely due to social distancing measures, better hand hygiene and high levels of vaccination during the coronavirus pandemic.
North Orange Discount Drug pharmacist Tim Denham said people should still be vaccinated against the flu if they have not been vaccinated and said it normally takes a couple of weeks before it is effective.
"With sport about to start up we will probably seen an increase in normal colds and cases of influenza," he said.
NSW Health has distributed a record 2.98 million federally supplied doses of flu vaccine across the state, which is almost one million more doses than distributed in the same period last year.
Free influenza vaccinations are available under the National Immunisation Program for people aged 65 and over, pregnant women, Aboriginal people and those with at-risk medical conditions.
The free NSW-funded vaccine is also available to all children aged six months to under five years.
NSW Health is also reminding residents not to be complacent about COVID-19 amid the relaxing of restrictions because it could still be circulating in the community.
The Western NSW Local Health District spokesperson said it remained essential that everyone maintains social distancing of 1.5 metres and regularly washes their hands to minimise the risk of virus transmission.
People with mild symptoms or those who show no obvious symptoms can unknowingly pass it to others, so anyone with even the mildest of symptoms must isolate from others and get tested at their GP or a COVID-19 clinic, such as the one at Orange hospital.
Symptoms include a runny nose, cough or scratchy throat and loss of smell and taste.
The health district is also thanking those with symptoms for coming forward, getting tested and ensuring cases in the community are identified as quickly as possible.
Mobile COVID-19 clinics are visiting towns across the region with tests conducted in Oberon, Blayney, Molong, Rylstone, Wellington, Forbes and Goodooga.
All swabs have come back negative to COVID-19.
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Tanya Marschke
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
