New England and North West residents are being urged to avoid hospitals and GP offices where possible, as swine flu and whooping cough sweeps through the region.
The number of confirmed cases of both diseases has skyrocketed in recent weeks.
In the Hunter New England Health area alone, the number of people who’ve contracted swine flu has jumped to 61.
“Swine flu is spreading rapidly through the state, it’s going region by region and obviously it’s something that’s of considerable concern”
