There is a promise of more freedoms for the vaccinated on the Monday after the state hits a 70 per cent double vaccinations. It is the carrot being dangled to encourage more jabs in arms.

No doubt it is a promise that invokes excitement for many and a hope of recovery for businesses struggling to stay viable.

But my great concern is the impact re-opening will have on an already stretched health service.

Vaccination may be key to the road map out of this pandemic, but what will protect our dedicated frontline workers such as doctors, nurses, paramedics, practice office managers and receptionists from another serious ailment - burn out?

I spoke to a doctor recently who told me the team at his general practice had been doing more than 12 hours a day to ensure that people received their vaccination, all while tending to regular appointments of patients. Furthermore, he was meeting a rostered commitment at the public hospital several times each week.

He was quick to point out that it was not just the doctors who were under pressure, noting the practice nurses and receptionists were putting in the long hours just to make sure every patient received the attention they needed.

"It's like groundhog day," he said.

This is a frightening reality faced by all our health professionals, especially considering that we are really at the starting blocks of a new normal.

That doctor is anticipating that the workload will continue to be excessive. There is the expectation of more COVID cases and more people needing treatment - particularly among the unvaccinated. Top up vaccinations down the track are also likely, and that will lead directly into the next year of flu vaccinations.

It is a picture that seems to be the same throughout NSW, especially in rural, regional, and remote communities. In fact the pressure on our health system has long been a concern.

The only thing that may vary is whether or not the nearest hospital will be taking COVID patients, or will these patients be moved further up the road to another hospital. Of course, that's until that facility reaches capacity.

That transportation - and finding a hospital with vacancies - will become the daily task of our paramedics. This will be on top of the care and transport they have long provided to our community.

Southern NSW Local Health District spokesperson said that Goulburn Base Hospital could support people through virtual care and monitor them in their homes. They said the hospital was equipped to provide COVID-19 patient care, but vaccination levels in the community were "concerning".

The reality is that NSW will re-open soon, regardless of the potential impact on our community and our frontline health workers.

I have never felt more strongly that the success of a more free existence is reliant on every single person. I also anticipate that new freedoms could long include the need to wear masks, vaccine booster shots, and social consciousness related to staying at home when you are unwell.

Pre-COVID many people went to work or headed out and about when they were unwell. These days I am cautious to cough or sneeze in public, even when such action is caused by an allergy rather than an illness.

More importantly I am conscious that my approach to increased freedoms, and that of everyone in the community, will be key to reducing the pressure on our health professionals.

Please stay safe and be mindful that your actions matter to the wellbeing of our community and, in particular, to those on the frontline in the battle against COVID.

Our health system will be under more pressure than ever. This should be a real concern for the political powers-that-be. But we all need to do our part to ease the burden for the sake of our life-saving frontline workers.

Jackie Meyers

Editor