Aboriginal people in the Pilbara are struggling to isolate in overcrowded houses after they test positive to COVID-19, local leaders say.
Nyamal woman Linda Doogiebee-Dridi, an Aboriginal Advisory Council of WA member, says there are no housing facilities for people who have tested positive in South Hedland, where she is based.
"We are frustrated that we don't have the appropriate facilities for our families to go to, especially if they come from large family homes and do not have their own housing accommodation," she said.
Ms Doogiebee-Dridi said the lack of accommodation could have significant health impacts.
"It's failing our people, because the Aboriginal people are the most vulnerable race; [we] can easily pick up this virus because of our low immune system," she said.
Nyamal elder Mrs Eaton was worried some COVID-positive people were not in isolation because they did not have a suitable place to stay.
"I am concerned about my people ... that can't understand from A to B the sickness, that don't really take it seriously," she said.
"There's [COVID-19 positive] people sitting around Coles and nobody's actually telling these people it's a health hazard.
Call for understanding and action
Mrs Eaton said more needed to be done to improve accessibility to isolation accommodation.
"These government departments, they need to understand that our people need something here, because we're not a rich kind of people to finance our isolation ourselves," she said.
The Department of Communities said it assisted in providing emergency accommodation for individuals whose usual accommodation was deemed unsuitable for the purpose of isolation.
A spokesperson said the department had provided emergency welfare support throughout the Pilbara, including at Karratha, South Hedland, Port Hedland, Newman, Jigalong, Roebourne, Wickham and other locations
Ms Doogiebee-Dridi and Mrs Eaton said they were not aware of any isolation accommodation alternatives being provided to people who needed it in Hedland.
More collaboration needed
Mrs Eaton and Ms Doogiebee-Dridi agreed there needed to be a collaborative approach between Indigenous people and government departments on how to handle the issue.
"We need to come together as a community and put some places up there, so if we know somebody from our tribe [with COVID], we can cater for them," Mrs Eaton said.
A Department of Health spokesperson said it would continue to work with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services to support metropolitan and regional planning and responses.
"As we learn to live with COVID, our approach to managing outbreaks in remote communities is continually refined based on lessons learnt from both local and national jurisdictions," the spokesperson said.
