AUGUST 5, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
Lockdown jobs blow By Alesha Capone housands of jobs could be permanently lost in Wyndham ater the state government introduced stage four restrictions this week in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus. All retail businesses have been ordered to close for at least six weeks, leaving thousands of employees without work. Under the lockdown, residents must obey an 8pm to 5am curfew, unless they are going to or from work, or to give or receive essential care. But it is local businesses that will be hardest hit, with the shutdown to afect the retail, manufacturing and construction sectors. “As heartbreaking as it is to close down places of employment … that is what we have to do in order to stop the spread of this wildly infectious virus, this deadly virus,” Premier Daniel Andrews said. Under the new restrictions, which take efect from midnight on Wednesday, shops, some manufacturing and administration must close. Cafes and restaurants can still serve takeaway and local stores such as butchers, fruit and vegetable and bakeries can still operate. Supermarkets, bottle shops, pharmacies, petrol stations, banks, post oices and news agencies will stay open, but most other shops, including department stores, hairdressers, and furniture and homeware stores, will close their doors from midnight on Wednesday, with trading limited to click-and-collect services for online shoppers. Committee for Wyndham chief executive Barbara McClure said the stage four lockdown will have “an enormous impact” on the municipality’s businesses, many of which would see a reduced number of customers or have to shut down completely. “I think it’s going to be a really, really diicult time ahead,” Ms McClure said. She said that while a lot of businesses were starting to use online methods to keep trading, others would see a drop in foot traic in main shopping areas. “It’s going to be all the incremental things that will make a diference, whether it’s that $3 cup of cofee or a $50 plate of sandwiches … which we won’t be ordering now,” she said. Ms McClure said that the uncertainty of what lies ahead was also a major factor in the business world.
Police conduct checks at a COVID-19 roadblock. (Joe Mastroianni)
Wyndham mayor Josh Gilligan said: “hese latest restrictions sum up why 2020 will be the toughest year of our lives.” “he economic and social shock of this virus will live with us for a generation.” Cr Gilligan said that since the beginning of the pandemic, the council “has placed the health of our residents and the resilience of our business community at the heart of every decision we have made”. “We’re delivering online health and educational services to residents, as well as
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direct food support through our Community Kitchen with over 8500 ready-made meals delivered to hundreds of residents particularly those who have caught the virus,” he said. “Councillors are actively considering further measures we can implement to support households and businesses through this crisis.” As of Monday, there were 744 active COVID-19 cases in Wyndham. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, a total of 185 virus cases have been linked to Al-Taqwa College in Truganina.
Sixty-two cases have been linked to the Glendale Aged Care Facility in Werribee and 55 cases to BaptCare Wyndham Lodge. hirty-one cases have been linked to the Linfox Warehouse in Truganina and 13 to Diamond Valley Pork in Laverton North. A Mercy Health spokesperson said that Werribee Mercy Hospital was collaborating with other public hospitals in Melbourne’s west to provide isolation wards and treatment for COVID-19 patients, and patients who are suspected of having the virus.
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