A Scotts Creek man has not been able to return home to see his family since late March.
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Jarrod Neal, who works as a rescue medic in mines, is working in Western Australia.
When he left on March 29, he had no idea he would not be able to return home in the forseeable future.
He had to complete 14 days isolation when he arrived in Western Australia and will soon start a new job in the Northern Territory.
The 46-year-old said it could be tough working as a miner and being away from family at the best of times - let alone during a pandemic. But he considers himself luckier than some.
Some of the people working in mines are from overseas and have not been home for nine to 12 months.
One employee was not able to fly home for the birth of their child, Mr Neal said.
He is making the most of being "stuck" in Western Australia, travelling around the state in his four-wheel-drive when he has time off work.
"I want to go home but this (fly-in, fly-out work) is what we choose to do," he said.
"When I'm not working, I go bush."
Mr Neal said there were some other employees at the mines he works at who were struggling. "It's hard enough for miners being away from home - you work 12-hour shifts, day and night shifts and you have a small three metre by four metre donger," he said.
"It's a lot worse during a pandemic. Some guys go back to Perth and they have to pay for accommodation. I bought my swag so I've been calling my car home."
Mr Neal said there were thousands of Victorian fly-in, fly-out workers who were unable to return home due to the pandemic.
He said when he left Victoria he thought the pandemic would have been under control by now.
Mr Neal said he didn't believe coronavirus will be eradicated. "I can tell you now I don't think COVID will go away," he said.
"It definitely won't go away in a hurry."
Mr Neal encouraged people who knew someone working in a mine to reach out to them and ensure they were OK.
"My biggest focus is on the miners and how they and their families are coping being away from each other," he said.
Mr Neal said people could reach out to anyone they knew working away with a simple message on Thursday - which is R U OK? Day.
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