A local group has formed to deliver initiatives and information about the COVID-19 threat and help ensure we are prepared for the challenges it will present our community
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Called the Bellingen Shire Coronavirus Pandemic Response Group, it includes representatives from council and business, local medical and emergency services professionals, and community service providers.
Mayor Dominic King said the group would focus their efforts on the key community areas of clinical support, community preparedness and resilience, community information, business support services and the maintenance of council's essential community services.
"For example, members of the group are local medical professionals who have been working tirelessly to complete the forward planning necessary to secure Commonwealth funding to establish our own COVID Clinic," he said.
"This initiative would provide our shire with a dedicated facility to test for the virus, coordinate patient after care support services and reduce the risk of transmission of the coronavirus at one of our local medical clinics, because this situation could result in the closure of that clinic.
"The group will also work towards identifying opportunities to address the range of challenges we will face and identify ways to support our local economy, the elderly and isolated and the services we rely on from the potential impacts this virus might have on the way we live our day to day lives."
Cr King said there has been a lot going on behind the scenes in terms of coordinating local resources and talent to establish the group and more people will be invited to join it.
"Moving forward we'll continue to invite and recruit to the group as we'd like to talk to representatives from the education sector and other various service providers that operate within our community," he said.
Council has created a single point of truth on its Create Engagement Portal called Coronavirus Community Updates so people can have online access to key pandemic agencies such as federal and state government health departments and regular updates on the local initiatives and actions of the Bellingen Shire Coronavirus Pandemic Response Group.
Cr King said council would be working in partnership with local media outlets including the Bellingen Courier-Sun, I Love Bello and 2 Triple B FM to provide the community with many opportunities to access local information and maintain a forum for the many voices of our one community.
"We are a connected, informed and engaged community and we will work through these challenging circumstances together just as we did during the recent drought, fires and floods."
