His organisation has been assisting Aboriginal medical services in the Dubbo region,and urging people to get tested if symptomatic and to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

It’s a message being echoed by the state government,which holds grave concerns for Indigenous communities in the area due to worryingly low vaccination rates.

“The best information available to NSW Health indicates among Aboriginal people in Western NSW LHD,18.8 per cent have received their first dose and 7.6 per cent have received two doses,” Health Minister Brad Hazzard said.

“The Aboriginal population was identified by the federal government as its area of responsibility earlier on … and there’s still a very substantial percentage – in fact by far the majority – of Aboriginal people in that north-western section of our state who have not received the vaccine.”

A spokeswoman for federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said vaccinating Indigenous people was a shared responsibility.

Mr Hazzard said he’d spoken to Walgett's Aboriginal medical service,which was desperate for more staff and vaccine doses.

“I think the second biggest building in Walgett is actually the Aboriginal medical service,and I know because I received text messages last night that said they’re short-staffed,” he said.

While the state government has laid responsibility for vaccinating Indigenous people with the federal government,Mr Woodcock was critical of a NSW decision to reallocate regional vaccine supplies to Sydney – preventing locals from accessing the jab earlier.

“[Vaccinations] were supposed to be done last week and I think they recalled it all,brought it back to Sydney,” he said.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said all diverted vaccinations had been returned to regional communities.

Meanwhile,the federal government has urgently organised for additional vaccine doses to be sent to the town.

“We’ve looked to redirect vaccines,they’ll be doing today,we’re looking at upskilling and making sure there are enough cartridges for the gene expert rapid testing facility which we forward placed in Walgett exactly for this issue,we’re working with the Royal Flying Doctor Service to see if the workforce needs to be there,"Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly told ABC Radio National.

The federal government has diverted 7000 vaccine doses to Walgett.

About 80,000 Indigenous people,or 14 per cent of the eligible population,had been vaccinated as of Wednesday.

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