Friday, 4 June, 2021

Thinking of selling? You know who to call

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Brush turkey mauled by dog

Noosa’s forgotten village

Peregian dream realised

48-page liftout Property Guide

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Noosa’s Queensland Day heroes By Margaret Maccoll Twelve-year-old Jarrah Small is a passionate conservationist. As an animal rescuer with WILVOS and Wildlife Noosa she volunteers to help rescue pelicans and other sea birds entangled or injured. As a Plastic Free Noosa volunteer she has spoken at universities and community events to educate the public on the problems plastic causes in waterways. Jarrah was one of 25 Noosa heroes recognised last night at the 2021 Noosa Electorate Queensland Day Awards ceremony. Noosa is filled with inspirational people who volunteer their time and services across our community to make it a better place. Noosa Today joined Noosa MP Sandy Bolton and Bendigo Bank last night to put a spotlight on some of these people as we celebrated our local Queensland Day Awards recipients at a ceremony at The J Theatre. See page 3

Jarrah Small

Picture: ROB MACCOLL

Covid jab shortage leaves Noosa GPs...

Playing catch-up By Margaret Maccoll

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A handful of Noosa GPs are doing their best to vaccinate Noosa locals against COVID19 but the supply of doses to them is not keeping pace with the demand. The doctors have also reported delays in supply arrivals leading to clinic cancellations, difficulties contacting Queensland Health about vaccine supplies and the need for more providers to provide vaccination. “This is important. We may be playing catch up but GPs are working to do their darnedest to help,“ Dr Richard Heath of Sunrise Beach Medical Centre said.

His clinic has been receiving only 100-150 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine per delivery and vaccinating 30-40 people per day. He said the surgery had employed two extra staff to vaccinate the population and could easily double its program if they were able to access more doses from Queensland Health. It’s a similar case at Noosaville Seven Day Medical Centre which has also enlisted the help of extra staff to deliver vaccinations and deal with administration and documentation requirements. Practice manager Louise said they were vaccinating 300 people a week and were inundated with calls from people wanting the vaccine.

Across Noosa about half a dozen GP clinics are listed on the Australian Health Department website as providing COVID19 vaccine with some recording no stock available. At his solo doctor practice Noosa Heads Medical Centre Dr Nick Hummel first contacted his own vaccine-eligible patients to speak to them about obtaining their vaccination before opening up to the broader community. “Definitely people were reluctant. They perceived their risk to be worse than what it was,“ he said. Dr Hummel began his first COVID vaccination clinic on 21 April with an allocation of 50 doses a week. He was able to increase supply to 150 per week and after vaccinating about 80

per cent of his patients he opened his doors to people outside the practice with about 95 per cent of those now being vaccinated coming from other clinics. “We have the facilities and staff to run a vaccination clinic. There’s a lot of interest. There’s not enough providers doing this. We could do with more,“ he said. The clinic has now vaccinated about 1000 people. About 40 per cent have shown mild side effects such as fever and headache lasting only hours and two patients showing more prolonged symptoms but they were not severe or life-threatening and there have been no cases of blood clots, he said. Continued page 2