Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman and Member for Blue Mountains Trish Doyle have called for Blue Mountains residents who work in essential services and travel into COVID ‘areas of concern’ to be added to the priority vaccination list.

With the majority of local COVID cases listed as having unknown sources, the opposition MPs said the Mountains had to stay ahead of the curve and called for a vaccination hub or drive-through to be established in the local area.

“The State Government is allowing health, aged care and disability workers, as well as those in construction, teaching and early education living in the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of concern, to be prioritised for vaccinations,” Ms Doyle said.

“But that’s only if you live in an LGA of concern; not if you work there.”

Ms Templeman said, “Teachers, health workers, tradies, and a whole range of essential workers have no choice but to head into those LGAs of concern for work, and they are desperate to be vaccinated.

“Equally, early educators looking after young children whose parents work in the LGAs of concern feel at greater risk, as do supermarket workers who are exposed to everyone else,” she said.

Ms Doyle and Ms Templeman say the program needs to be extended to the Blue Mountains, with vaccination hubs or drive-through services.

“The NSW Government needs to help us keep the virus at bay rather than trying to shut the door after the horse has bolted,” Ms Doyle said.

“Our GPs and pharmacies are doing everything they can, with the space, staff and supplies that they have. But I don’t want to see long waits lead to our luck running out, and we need to stay ahead of the curve in our region.”

Ms Doy