Taking proactive action

Published on 17 March 2020

We know that Coronavirus is on everyone’s minds and we are doing everything we can to assist with flattening the spread of Coronavirus in our community. This has unfortunately meant cancelling our upcoming Living Cultures and Bring It On! Youth festivals.

While there may also be other events and services that will be impacted in the coming weeks and months, we are putting in place a range of measures to ensure we continue to provide essential services to the community. We are closely monitoring the advice of the relevant health authorities and I will keep you informed if their advice affects any of our events or services.

Make sure you follow Fairfield City Council or my Facebook page for service updates, and NSW Health for specific information about Coronavirus. It’s important to remember that this virus has a greater impact on the elderly and people with underlying health conditions. While it’s wise to have a few extra items in your pantry, panic buying is not helpful, and means the most vulnerable are the most impacted. We should all be mindful of our elderly neighbours and play our part by checking that they have what they need.

We all need to be responsible and sensible but not over-react or panic. Stay home if you are unwell, continue to wash your hands – and self-isolate if required. We are also advised to practise ‘social distancing’. This means not standing too close to others, avoid touching, and avoiding places where you might be in a confined space with people over a long period of time.

If you develop a fever, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath, call ahead to your GP or phone 1800 022 222. Self isolate and do not attend work or public places. Over the past few weeks I have had many conversations with residents and I’m certain that together, we will overcome this. While Council is still delivering its services and infrastructure, our focus is securely on maintaining the health, safety and wellbeing of our community.