Lane Cove Covid 19 Daily Update 5 April 2020

Please see below our daily update regarding Lane Cove and other important Covid 19 news.  If you know elderly or vulnerable people in the community who do not have access to social media then please ask them to sign up to our newsletter and we will provide information to them via our newsletter. Sign Up here.

Everyone can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 by practising social distancing, thorough hand washing, cough etiquette and staying home unless it’s essential. To learn how to protect yourself and others click here.

COVID 19 Cases NSW

As at 8 pm, Saturday, 4 April 2020, an additional 87 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed, since 8 pm 3 April, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in NSW to 2,580.

There are 279 COVID-19 cases being treated by NSW Health, including 39 cases in our Intensive Care Units and, of those, 23 require ventilators at this stage. More than 50 per cent of the remainder of cases being treated by NSW Health are through Hospital in the Home services. There have been 16 deaths.

The rate for which COVID-19 cases increase on average each day has fallen over the past fortnight from just over 25% to around 4%. However, it is too soon to tell whether this trend will be sustained.

COVID 19 Cases Lane Cove

There are 33 confirmed cases of COVID 19 in Lane Cove Council Area as at 8 pm 4th April 2020.

The Lane Cove Council area and includes the suburbs of Greenwich, Lane Cove, Lane Cove North (part), Lane Cove West, Linley Point, Longueville, Northwood, Riverview and St Leonards (part).

When you do a ratio of cases/population the stats are 33/39486 Lane Cove 44/150 752 Hornsby and 22/80 339 Willoughby (all population figures are based on people living in a local government area).

You can check these figures on a daily basis here.

Get Ready to Queue at Lane Cove Woolies and Coles

As we all know shopping before a public holiday in normal times is manic.  One of the busiest times is Easter Week. Stores are now permitted to open all Easter long weekend.

Both Woolworths and Coles will implement social distancing rules from tomorrow.

Customers will need to queue outside under new restrictions, as the store will have a capped capacity on how many people can be inside at once.

Staff and security guards will not operate on a “one in one out” policy.

These measures are designed to ensure each person has their required four square metres of space while inside, with the 1.5-metre rule to be policed in queues of customers outside.

There is still double the normal demand for some products.  Nationally, last week Woolies sold over 20.5 million rolls.”

Fun fact the two “highest growth categories” of the past week have been cake mixes and household cleaning products.

In other shopping news, National Disability Insurance Scheme participants will receive a priority delivery service from major supermarkets to help ease the stress during the coronavirus pandemic.

Government Services Minister Stuart Roberts said from Monday the service will help more than 340,000 NDIS participants who are unable to do their grocery shopping in their usual way.

If you want to avoid the supermarket and have fish delivered for Good Friday a Lane Cove family has the answer.

Martins Seafood is a business owned by a Lane Cove family. They used to supply seafood products to the restaurant industry and local businesses like Little Red Robin Restaurant. To help save their business and keep employing their staff they are now selling online and direct to locals.

Order now for your Good Friday seafood meals or for your Easter Sunday Meal – are you going to have a virtual Easter Sunday Family Meal via Zoom or House Party??

https://www.martinsseafoods.com.au/

Lane Cove Locals In the News

Check out this article from the ABC on how people are dealing with self-isolation and COVID 19. It features one of Lane Cove’s most dedicated volunteers Diana Galofaro and the amazing work being done by Lane Cove’s very own community aid organisation Sydney Community Services

Pet Adoptions have increased during our home isolation – a perfect time to be home to train a cat or dog (but remember they are for life not just for a Covid 19 pandemic).  Local hero and dog rescuers Nat Panzarino was featured on SBS here.

Home Isolation can be tough when you are sharing a group house.  The SMH interviewed a Lane Cove group house to see how they were coping here.

Probably the most famous Lane Cove person this week was a resident who decided to deliver a basket of fruit to a person in mandatory isolation in a city hotel.  Allegedly the fruit came with the added bonus of some illegal drugs – read more here.

North Shore Times to Stop Paper Deliveries

News Limited has announced that the North Shore Times will no longer be delivered to residents.  Although they have suspended the printed publication and you will be able to access it online digitally – You can try it for 28 days free (if you give your credit card details).

The Village Observer has also stopped print production but they are looking to see how they can move the TVO online.

Lane Cove Job Losses

The Daily Telegraph today has estimated that 1796 jobs have been lost in the Lane Cove/Greenwich area.

While many businesses have been adversely affected by COVID-19 and are reducing their workforces, there are some areas of the economy which have an increased demand for workers. This includes jobs in health and care sectors, transport and logistics, some areas of retail, mining and mining services, manufacturing, agriculture and government sectors, among others.  The Australian Government has introduced  The Job Hub.
The Jobs Hub helps you find advertised vacancies. Click here to find out more.

 

Home Schooling

The New Daily has reported the following

“More of us are turning to the internet to help with the little things. Last week searches on Google for basic numeracy and literacy spiked.

“With an increasing number of Australians working and learning from home, there has been a noticeable surge in search interest for basic literacy and numeracy questions,” Google said in a breakdown of most searches in the past week.

The most searched “What is a…?” questions, past seven days in Australia was:

  1. What is a verb?
  2. What is a noun?
  3. What is a prime number?
  4. What is a metaphor?
  5. What is a synonym?”

Stay Home Lane Cove and Do Not Travel for Easter

Minister Hazzard has again reiterated that you should stay home and not go away for the Easter break.
Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said travelling for holidays is not considered “essential” travel and orders made under the Public Health Act stated a person must not leave their home without a reasonable excuse.

Here is the best news EVER – an eggs-emption has been made for the Easter Bunny. He can travel because delivering eggs is a “reasonable excuse”

Freebie Sanity Saver

 

 

A Lane Cove family has released the Rawson Sanity Saver Calendar

To lighten up the month of April, which also coincides with the Easter school holidays, we thought it would be timely to be part of the fun-making during this unprecedented time of social isolation.

While there are plenty of great ideas circulating, all helping to keep the community positive, smiling and busy, this one brings together a wall calendar with actionable ideas for adults and kids, all in one place. We reckon there are some fun ideas in here that you won’t be able to resist.

Click below to have your complimentary Rawson Sanity Saver Calendar mailed to you via Australia Post.
www.rpco.com.au/the-rawson-sanity-saver-calendar/

For added entertainment, and for the chance to win a Deliveroo voucher worth $500, we’re inviting all recipients to share their participation. Just upload a picture to Instagram and tag @rawsonprintco showing your involvement in a chosen activity.

 

Sydney Community Services Food Drive and Volunteers

Sydney Community Services is located in Lane Cove and has a long history of providing services to the aged and people living with a disability including social activities, gardening, home nursing, podiatry, Community Care Advisory, clean sheets and towels, home delivered meals, home modifications and maintenance, flexible respite, carers support, shopping services, community and engagement programs, medical transport and assistance in daily life.

Sydney Community Services (9427 6425) is a central source for anyone in Lane Cove or Hunters Hill who either need to self-isolate or choose to not go outside as they worry they are at risk of the Corona Virus.

If you are a neighbour of someone who may be at risk please check they are ok and let Sydney Community Services know if they need to be on the vulnerable list.

They are putting together a database of people who are in isolation but they also need volunteers who are able to help others who need emergency supplies, or even just give social contact, through a phone link.

They take referrals by phone on 9427 6425. You can also email [email protected] with your details.

They are now the first line of contact for many elderly and vulnerable people in our community.

Thank you to everyone who has put their name down for volunteering with SCS.  They are working hard to process all the applications and comply with government requirements for volunteers in the aged sector.  SCS will be in contact with you as soon as possible to work out a role for you to play.  However, as you can appreciate, with each new day and announcement SCS has to readjust and change their plans.

They may need to call upon more residents in the future, but at this stage, they have enough volunteers.

Food Drive

Sydney Community Services is asking for donations to supply urgent items to vulnerable housebound people in our local area. Items needed include toilet paper, non-perishable food such as pasta, rice, tinned vegetables, tinned fruit, tinned soups, tuna, beans, sugar, tea, coffee, cereals, long life milk and personal hygiene products.

Donations can be dropped at Sydney Community Services, Ground Floor, 1 Pottery Lane, Lane Cove. Parking in Little Street car park, take the lift to ground level. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 8:30am – 4:00pm.

Elderly or Vulnerable People Priority Online Shopping

If you are elderly or vulnerable you can arrange for priority shopping with Woolworths. Coles is working to introduce their priority home deliveries by the end of this week.

Woolworths has introduced Priority Assistance home deliveries to help the elderly, people with disability, those with compromised immunity and those in mandatory isolation. To apply for Priority Assistance delivery, please complete the form at woolworths.com.au/priorityassistance

Coles Online has been temporarily diverted to the Coles Online Priority Service (COPS), allowing them to focus on delivering food and grocery essentials to elderly and vulnerable members of the community, including retirement and nursing homes. They will shortly announce how customers can access COPS; please check www.coles.com.au for more details.

Mental Health Support

If you aren’t feeling yourself lately the Way2Wellness team are available to listen. Talk to a trained mental health supporter using a free and confidential wellbeing service.
For more information visit: www.way2wellness.org.au or call: 1300 120 446 to chat.

 

 

Closest Covid 19 Testing Clinic

There is a Covid 19 Testing Clinic at Royal North Shore. These clinics are currently assisting with the assessment and testing of people with fever, cough or flu-like symptoms who are returned travellers or a contact of a confirmed case.

NSW Health Advice on Social Distancing

Everyone should practise social distancing, as it reduces the potential for transmission.

Social distancing is an effective measure to reduce the potential for transmission, but it is recognised that it cannot be practised in all situations.

Social distancing includes:

  • avoiding places where it is difficult to keep the appropriate distance away from others
  • attempting to keep a distance of 1.5 metres between themselves and other people where possible, for example when they are out and about in public place.
  • do not shake hands, hug, or kiss people who do not live with you.

Ke

Keep Up to Date With In the Cove

To make sure you don’t miss Lane Cove info sign up to our newsletter. It comes out every Wednesday Night at 7.30 pm and includes a wrap up of everything posted on our Facebook site in the previous week.

Read this week’s newsletter

Did you know that In the Cove has an instagram page? Yes, we do and we feature pictures from our roving reporters and our ITC team that do not appear on our Facebook page. Follow us on @inthecove