Loddon Shire Mayoral Column 1 June
Published on 01 June 2021
Seven-day circuit breaker lockdown
As of today (1 June) we are now in day five of the seven-day circuit breaker lockdown, which is in place until at least 11.59pm Thursday 3 June.
This means we must stay at home unless we are shopping for necessary goods and services, travelling to authorised work or permitted education, exercising (two-hour limit with one other person), providing or receiving care, or getting vaccinated.
A reminder that exercise and shopping is limited to five kilometres from your home. If there are no shops in your five-kilometre radius, you can travel to the ones closest to you.
Shopping is limited to one person per day, per household.
The lockdown has also affected Council services, with Council offices currently closed to the public until further notice. You can still call Council on (03) 5494 1200 or email loddon@loddon.vic.gov.au for assistance.
All Library Agency services in Loddon are currently closed. However, you can still access online books, magazines, movies and newspapers, alongside other online resources via the Library website. Visit the Goldfields Libraries website for more information.
Childcare centres and kindergartens remain open but schools have moved to remote learning – except for identified vulnerable children and children of permitted workers.
Shops like supermarkets, food stores, bottle shops, banks, petrol stations and pharmacies will also remain open, while cafes and restaurants will be able to offer take-away only.
Gyms, hairdressers, community facilities and entertainment venues will all close. Non-essential retail may only open for click and collect.
Hotels and accommodation can only stay open to support guests already staying onsite. No new bookings can be made – unless it is for a permitted purpose, like authorised work.
Face masks must be worn everywhere outside of your house with previous exemptions still apply, such as where a disability or medical condition makes mask wearing impracticable.
For full details regarding current restrictions, please visit the COVIDSafe Settings website.
Reusable masks available at post offices
With the reintroduction of the requirement to wear a face mask, Council has distributed a supply of reusable face masks across a number of locations within the Shire.
Residents are welcome to collect a new mask when they leave home for one of the permitted five reasons during our current lock down. Face masks can be collected from:
- Boort Post Office
- Bridgewater Post Office
- Dingee Post Office
- Inglewood Post Office
- Mitiamo Post Office
- Pyramid Hill Post Office
- Serpentine Post Office
- Tarnagulla Post Office
- Wedderburn Post Office
More information regarding wearing a face mask is available from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Victoria website.
Mental health support during lockdown
The Loddon Healthy Minds Network is reminding our community about the importance of looking after our mental health and wellbeing, and to keep an eye on those around us during the current lockdown.
If you are seeking some information on looking after your mental health, here are some links you might find useful:
Lifeline
Loddon Healthy Minds Network
Council’s website (which includes the list of all Loddon Community Service agencies).
The Lifeline telephone call service is also available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week on 13 11 14.
Circuit Breaker Business Support Package
The Victorian Government has launched the $250 million Circuit Breaker Business Support Package to assist small to medium businesses and sole traders, under the circuit breaker restrictions.
The package will support businesses unable to operate due to these public health measures, including targeted support for the events industry.
The program will open for applications on Wednesday 2 June 2021 and will remain open for three weeks.
Details of the program can be found at the Circuit Breaker Business Support Package website.
Citizenship Ceremony 25 May
Finally, I’d like to end this week’s column by congratulating our newest Australian citizen Douglas Eason. It was a great honour to present Douglas with a citizenship certificate during last Tuesday’s ceremony. Douglas is originally from Scotland.