NEWS DESK
Positve tests lead to more COVID ‘sites’ Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au
PARTICIPANTS on last year’s walk. Picture: Supplied
Walk running for eight weeks WOMEN wanting to head outdoors, improve their fitness, or who are craving some well-deserved “me” time may enjoy the free Walk 4 Wellbeing – an eight-week focus on recovery, self-care and reconnection that started last Saturday (2 October) and ends Sunday 28 November. Participants will be joined by an online community of like-minded women who are ready to get away from being overwhelmed, recover from the impacts of lockdowns and re-energise for the start of 2022. Women can join the event no matter
where they are. Everyone’s journey is different, so participants choose their own experience by selecting their distance and the number of days they walk or run each week. They can sign up for five kilometres per week or choose a longer distance and challenge themselves to go further. Options include joining solo or with friends. For those with family and friends interstate or overseas this is a perfect opportunity to reconnect on a joint virtual adventure. The walk offers access to resources,
including free webinars and prizes. The Walk 4 Wellbeing is an initiative of the Women’s Spirit Project, a group of women who volunteer their time to connect, motivate and support women to stay well through access to affordable health, fitness and wellbeing activities. The walk is supported by Family Life, WHISE, RAW Travel, Monash University, Frankston Council, Frankston Revitalisation Board and Pressroom Philanthropy. Details: womensspiritproject.org/ walk-for-wellbeing-2021
DEMAND for COVID-19 testing at Rosebud Respiratory Clinic increased in the past week but there is capacity for more people to get tested. Positive cases were detected last week among residents from Dromana, Tootgarook and Safety Beach. “After speaking to the patients we know of some additional exposure sites on the Mornington Peninsula,” the clinic’s Dr Sally Shaw said. These are Dromana IGA, where a positive case visited 6.40-6.55pm, Saturday 25 September, Xpress Gourmet Pizza & Pasta, Dromana, 6.54-7.10pm, Saturday 25 September, and Mavi Fish & Chips, Dromana, 11.30am-12.30pm, Sunday 26 September. Another positive case travelled on the 788 bus from Dromana to Rosebud, 12.15-12.35pm, Sunday 26 September. Dr Shaw said the patient got on at Dromana Hub Shopping Centre at 12.20pm and got off at 6th Avenue, Rosebud, 12.35pm. Another case visited Woolworths in Main Street, Mornington, 4.15-5pm, Sunday 26 September. The Bays Aged Care centre at Hastings has been declared a tier one COVID-19 site. A positive case visited the centre in Victoria Street, from 25 September-2 October. Dr Shaw said while DHHS had not officially declared the sites as tier one
or tier two, she recommended anyone who visited get tested. “We have contacted the stores involved and DHHS, however we are still concerned that no new sites have been published as of yet,” Dr Shaw said. Scheduled appointments were “still not as much as we would like considering the increase in case of numbers across Melbourne”. “We still have no waiting time for testing at our clinic and we’re open seven days a week. “Nearly half of the cases we have tested as positive have had no symptoms initially and seem to be developing symptoms later on after testing positive,” she said. “Vaccine demand is still very high at our clinics, especially with Pfizer now opening up to anyone over the age of 60.” Bookings for COVID-19 testing or for vaccinations can be made at peninsulavaccinationcentre.com or call 0436 033 507. The clinic is at 1079 Point Nepean Road, Rosebud. Other testing sites are Rosebud Hospital in Eleanora House at the front; Frankston Hospital, corner of Hastings Road and Yuille Street, Frankston; and Atticus Health Medical Clinic Hastings. Testing is done in the clinic car park by appointment only. Testing is free if done through a public health centre or GP offering bulk billing.
Jab debate raises issues of entry Stephen Taylor steve@mpnews.com.au
Permit No. 10214/21
PAGE 8
Southern Peninsula News
6 October 2021
CLUBS and social or sporting groups on the Mornington Peninsula are heading into unknown territory as they prepare to welcome back members emerging from lockdown. But will those who are vaccinated and those who are not be treated differently? Will entry depend on being able to prove a double jab? Similarly, how will Mornington Peninsula Shire deal with the vaccinated and the unvaccinated? Will those who have declined be banned from entering shire halls, libraries, or offices? Who will police entry? State government rulings are often hard to follow. Last week, many tennis clubs delayed opening while they sorted through stringent COVIDsafe requirements. Toilets remained locked on golf courses. Mornington Peninsula Shire does not require its staff to be vaccinated but encourages them to do so and offers paid time from work to get the vaccination. In August, six of the 11 councillors were reported to have been vaccinated and the shire’s website was urging residents to “help stop the pandemic by getting a COVID-19 vaccine when it is available to you” (“Councillors follow shire’s advice to ‘get the jab’” The News 9/8/21). “Like all organisations we are currently working on a plan for how to safely reopen our shire offices and facilities once Victoria achieves its vaccination milestones,” speechwriter Tina McGuffie said last week. “As always, we will follow the directions of the Chief Health Officer in determining our approach and will work closely with the state government to ensure a COVIDSafe summer on the peninsula.” Mornington Yacht Club Commodore Greg
Martin speaking in the newsletter said while the club used an App to feature news and events – it was “not the forum for members to deride or ridicule other members” in the great jab debate. “The issue of COVID-19 vaccination is a personal choice; please don’t use the app as a forum for your personal biases,” he warned. “I have made the choice to get vaccinated [but] the choice each member makes is up to them ... Access to our club – and most likely all clubs – will most likely be dependent on being able to prove double-dose vaccination. “This will not be a decision made solely by clubs and other hospitality venues. It will be a government decision and enshrined in law, like having to wear seatbelts, wearing a helmet on your bike or even stopping at a red light. “Two years ago I had the privilege of travelling to Africa. To get the yellow fever vaccine was not a choice. There was no choice: get it or don’t come here. “This pandemic, and particularly the Delta variant, doesn’t discriminate between the vaccinated and unvaccinated, young or old, and the best advice from all governments and medicos in order to protect ourselves, our loved ones and the community, is to get vaccinated. “Almost exclusively the patients in ICU beds are unvaccinated. We have a number of medicos in our club [who] are happy to discuss the issue. “The future is in our hands.”
Food For All online SOUTHERN Peninsula Food For All will hold its annual meeting, 2pm, Wednesday 20 October. Those wanting to attend the online Zoom event should RSVP to mail@foodforall.com.au by 4pm, Tuesday 19 October. President Brian Allen said the zoom link, copy of the annual report and an agenda would be sent to participants.