Times
www.gippslandtimes.com.au
TUESDAY, TUESDAY, AUGUST JULY 21, 11, 2020
GIPPSLAND
$1.70 Inc. GST Tel: 5143 9333
& MAFFRA SPECTATOR
LACK OF RENTALS
VCE STRUGGLE PAGE 5
WEATHER
SUPPLY DRIES UP
PAGE 3
COVID-19
Tuesday Morning Mostly sunny frost--Min: Min:41 Max: Max:14 16
Wednesday Showers Possible shower - Min: 5- Min: Max:316Max: 15
Thursday Shower Mostly sunny or two- -Min: Min:3 6Max: Max:1419
INSIDE
PropertyGuide GippslandTimes
Almost 40 active COVID cases in Gld:
Vigilance is urged
Op shop stays open
WHEN the Gippsland Times went to print yesterday morning, Wellington Shire was one of only 17 local government areas in the state to have no active cases of COVID-19. The 62 other municipalities in Victoria have at least one active case, with the highest area, the City of Wyndham (encompassing Werribee), recording 942 active cases. In Gippsland, there are 38 active cases. Neighbouring Latrobe had 22 active cases yesterday morning, with 12 cases attributed to an outbreak at Traralgon’s Bupa Aged Care facility — five residents and seven employees. Maryvale Mill Opal, formerly known as Australian Paper, confirmed one of its workers tested positive last week, and contact tracing of other employees and deep cleaning at the mill has been underway. An AGL worker at Loy Yang A power plant has also tested positive, with the company confirming a number of workers in close contact with the positive case are now in self-isolation. Two cases have emerged at Moe Early Leaning Centre, and TAFE Gippsland has confirmed a student at its Yallourn campus has also tested positive. Two members of Traralgon’s Fitness 4U gym have also tested positive to COVID-19, but in a social media post, the gym stated the two members were both a close contact of a positive case who was not a member. South Gippsland had five cases, including a student at Korumburra Secondary College.
Stratford Opportunity Shop’s COVID warden Denise Vranek doesn’t let any hands get past her.
Liz Bell EVERYONE knows the importance of volunteering to the community, but never more than in times of crisis. Denise Vranek, who volunteers at Stratford Opportunity Shop, said the store provided comfort and a chance to be involved in the community for its many volunteers, as
well as an important service to the community. She said after checking with the Anglican Bishop, who called the Department of Health and Human Services to check that they could stay open during stage three restrictions, organisers decided that if enough volunteers were interested in continuing, the popular shop would remain open for up to three days a week.
“Last time we closed for three months and many of our volunteers really did miss it, because it’s a lonely time for a lot of people,” she said. Since reopening last month, Stratford Opportunity Shop has maintained strict limits on numbers in the store, and a ‘COVID station’, where shoppers are provided with hand sanitiser and must provide names and contact details.
Baw Baw also recorded five positive cases, including a Coles supermarket worker at Drouin and Heritage Springs. At the time of print, Bass Coast also had four cases, including a worker at Wonthaggi’s Kirrak House Residential Aged Care, and East Gippsland two. On Friday and Saturday, police issued 465 fines to people who breached Chief Health Officer directives, including 77 people who refused to wear face masks, 19 people who failed to have a valid reason to cross a vehicle checkpoint, and 139 people breaking Melbourne’s 8pm to 5am curfew. Other breaches included a man travelling on a city-bound train between Lalor and Thomastown outside of the five kilometre radius from his home to “get some fresh air”, a man with four other men visiting his property in Mount Alexander to “watch the footy”, and a Garfield man exercising and shopping in Frankston. Despite the fact Wellington Shire has no detected cases, for those with any symptoms, it is still as important to continue to get tested. People in Wellington Shire can book to have a COVID-19 test online through the Inglis Medical Centre website, or phone 5143 7900 and 5143 7981. It is important to fill in the registration form before entering the Wellington Respiratory Clinic (which is at the rear of Inglis Medical Centre). To obtain booking details for all respiratory clinics, visit www.gphn.org.au/covid-19 Challenges for VCE students, page 5.
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