ay s!
Su n pr *Im
s
2* 02
oon & Tides 2 M ,
W H AT A Y E A R T H I S W E E K H A S B E E N The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 36 #31 • January 12, 2022 • www.echo.net.au
lid
s ov e e g e ho ed c ver e n tr e p a ublic sion with correct p
Frontline health workers supported
Vax ‘strollout’ for children in chaos
Paul Bibby
With the Federal Government’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout for five to 11-year olds now underway, The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has highlighted widespread reports of ‘practices receiving insufficient stock, or expired vaccine doses, having orders cancelled at the last minute, or doses not arriving – without any explanation’. RACGP President, Dr Karen Price, said, ‘Urgent improvements to the children’s vaccine rollout must happen now, so that our kids can receive at least one vaccine dose before returning to the classroom’. ‘With more than enough doses in Australia to vaccinate all children’, Dr Price says ‘The Government must improve the logistics so that enough stock arrives on our doorsteps when we need it’. ‘Some practices awaiting delivery of vaccines didn’t receive any doses, and no explanation was provided. We are working under an extraordinary amount of pressure, and families are understandably anxious to have their children vaccinated’. Dr Price also called for more funding for practices participating in the vaccine rollout. ‘Children require more time and care, as well as space, because their parents or carers come with them, and this has to be factored in by practices planning vaccine clinics’, she said.
It started, in classic Byron style, with a batch of bliss balls. The homemade treats were whipped up for the nurses at Byron Hospital by local, Sarah Armstrong, after she heard how challenging life had been for them during the Omicron outbreak. Less than two weeks later, that small gesture of support has grown into a major fundraising effort that aims to deliver hundreds of nutritious meals and snacks to staff at Byron and Lismore Hospitals. ‘People are doing six double shifts in a row, two weeks of night shift, with barely time to grab something to eat,’ Ms Armstrong says from her home in Mullumbimby. ‘I thought, “Well I can’t really have a major impact on the number of cases, and I can’t suddenly become a nurse, but I can funnel some of the care from the community into the hospital”.’ ‘So I just put it up on the Mullumbimby Flattening The Curve Facebook page to see if anyone else wanted to do some care packages, and it took off from there.’ At the time of writing, locals had pledged around $20,000 to the cause via the group’s GoFundMe page: Front Up for the Front Line. Southern Cross Credit Union has also agreed to make a donation, and Dino’s IGA in Mullumbimby is providing food to go into staff tearooms.
Heather Stevenson and Amanda Bannatyne are helping to orgainse delivery of meals to the Emergency Departments, ICU’s and COVID wards of local hospitals. Pictured with them is Steven Quirke, Manager of the Mullum Southern Cross Credit Union, who are also contributing to the cause. Photo Jeff Dawson
The group is aiming to raise $50,000 and is asking for the community to band together to get them over the line. ‘The thing that I’m hearing from
the nurses since I set this up, is that it’s more than just the meals and snacks, it’s the feeling that they’re being supported by the community,’ Ms Armstrong says. ‘They’ve copped a lot since the pandemic began. They’re not complaining – they know they signed up to help people. But they’re physically exhausted and emotionally exhausted, and many of them are close to breaking point.’ Ms Armstrong and her fellow organisers – Penny Wheeler, Amanda Bannatyne, Jeremy Jacks and Heather Stevenson – are now finalising the logistics of sourcing and delivering hundreds of meals to the Emergency Departments, ICUs and COVID wards of the two hospitals. In order to meet strict hospital
‘At the moment, we need three stand-alone freezers to store the meals, so if anyone is able to donate one to us, or loan one for an extended period, we’d be very grateful,’ Ms Armstrong says. Ms Armstrong says organisers wish they were able to provide meals to Tweed Hospital, as they do for Byron and Lismore, but needed to keep the scope of the project manageable. The fundraiser is part of a broader trend of locals supporting frontline workers across the Shire. A few days ago, the Federal Community Children’s Centre
Carjacking in Ocean Shores, warrants issued ▶ p5
Ballina’s history captured in new museum ▶ p6
Local GP speaks in support of COVID-19 vax ▶ p8
Aiming to raise $50k
food safety standards, the meals must be prepared in a commercial kitchen and delivered in frozen form.
Freezers needed
delivered a care package to Mullumbimby paramedics, drawing the following response from one of the paramedics: ‘We are so grateful for every little gesture, and the hand cream is divine!’ she said. ‘There’s no denying we are all exhausted, but we continue to show up, to serve our community. ‘We will get through this together – and chocolate and thanks make it all that much easier. ‘From a very tired but determined paramedic.’ To offer in-kind support to Front Up For The Frontline, email Sarah Armstrong: sarah@saraharmstrong.com, or visit the group’s Facebook page: Front Up For Our Frontline – Northern Rivers.
Rally against, Saturday Meanwhile, a ‘Voices 4 The Kids’ rally will be held this Saturday, January 15, at more than 20 locations across Australia, say organisers. Locally, an event is planned at the Qld/NSW border, near Twin Towns.
What gigs are out there? Consult the unicorn riding cosmonaut ▶ p25