FLY-IN, fly-out workers may undergo a special coronavirus screening as part of new measures to protect rural and remote communities from the spread of the virus.
The Australian Principle Health Committee will present a management plan to the Federal Government, which will include special measures for FIFO employees.
Chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said the health risks posed by the virus affected metropolitan and rural areas differently.
“In metropolitan areas the health system would be able to cope… but in isolated communities this could have pretty devastating consequences,” he said.
“They present a particular risk and so we’re planning a range of approaches to staffing and screening of people coming into community so that we can prevent it [coronavirus] coming in.”
There have been 89,907 confirmed cases of coronavirus worldwide and 3168 reported deaths, according to the Australian Government Department of Health.
Australia has 33 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with one death in WA.
