Coronavirus outbreaks are causing havoc for locum doctors and putting healthcare providers in a “diabolical” situation trying to fill posts in underserviced areas, a psychiatrist is warning. 

Melbourne-based Dr Helen Schultz was on the brink of taking up a two-week locum position in the greater Sydney region last week when the eastern suburbs’ COVID-19 cluster broke out. 

The area was first declared an orange, then a red zone, by the Victorian Government.

Dr Schultz tweeted about her dilemma, saying she was “up in the air” about whether to go to the posting, which was at that point located in an orange zone.