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JANUARY 12, 2021 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
A year to never forget YEAR IN REVIEW ... STORY OF THE YEAR 2020 was a year like no other. It’s the year that “staying apart, kept us together”, that words like ‘rona’, ‘iso’ and ‘lockdown’ found their way into everyday language, strangers fought over toilet paper in supermarket aisles and we were shut off not only from the world, but our families, our friends, our neighbours. The coronavirus pandemic dominated headlines as it swept across the world, both dividing and uniting us. It has brought with it undeniable hardship and heartbreak, social and economical ramifications that will be felt for years to come. But it has also highlighted our fighting spirit, our compassion and an inspiring ability to adapt. Australia’s first confirmed case of coronavirus was identified in Victoria on January 25, 2020. At it’s peak, Victoria had 7000 active cases. We look back on how COVID-19 unfolded across the northern and western suburbs. By March 24, Sunbury and Macedon Ranges residents were being urged to buy from their local businesses to help save jobs and minimise the impact of the pandemic on traders. Schools closed and all pubs, clubs, casinos, cinemas, gyms and places of worship shut as the state battled the pandemic. The state government announced that essential services would continue to operate but many public facilities and services in the Macedon Ranges and Sunbury closed and events were cancelled or postponed. The message didn’t get through to everybody and on April 7 Macedon Ranges council urged visitors to stay away from tourist hot spots across the region as “hundreds” of people visited the shire’s autumn leaves display. Police closed the road to the Mount Macedon Memorial Cross after visitors ignored government recommendations to stay home. On April 14, financial support measures aimed at easing the impact of COVID-19 on Macedon Ranges residents, businesses and sporting clubs were adopted by council. The new financial measures were part of the
Nurse Lyn Safstrom outside the respiratory clinic at the back of Kyneton Hospital. (Damjan Janevski) 207640_02
council’s #InThisTogether campaign, which aimed to find innovative ways to deliver services while council-run centres were closed. A respiratory clinic was set up in the old ambulance bays at the rear of the Kyneton Hospital to assess people exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 in response to Central Highlands Rural Health concerns about a possible rise in local cases and other respiratory illnesses during winter. On May 19, Sunbury McDonald’s was one of 12 restaurants across Melbourne’s north-west to be shut down for deep cleaning following a truck driver testing positive to COVID-19. In Victoria, there were 1561 confirmed COVID-19 cases as the state government announced the first relaxation of lockdown. After two months of home learning, school was officially back in for Sunbury and Macedon
Ranges students. And on June 2 dining out was back on the menu as Victoria started to reopen after more than two months of lockdown. By June 30, Hume residents were being urged to rethink their interstate travel plans after the municipality was labeled a ‘hot spot’ for coronavirus infections. On July 7, Hume was divided. Sunbury residents dodged a second lockdown but stay-at-home orders were issued for other parts of Hume. Postcode 3064, which takes in Craigieburn, Roxburgh Park, Mickleham, Donnybrook and Kalkallo, had the highest number of active coronavirus cases in Victoria. A week later, Sunbury residents were returned to stage three restrictions as part of a six-week metropolitan Melbourne lockdown. In August, Hume councillors endorsed their final budget, which included an $11.5 million
stimulus package to assist businesses, sporting clubs, community groups and ratepayers. A Sunbury man whose wife was a resident at Goonawarra Aged Care spoke of his fears the growing number of COVID-19 cases within the home was “a potential diaster”. At the time, 72 confirmed cases had been linked to the home. Of those, 43 were residents, 24 were staff and five were close contacts. In September, falling case numbers gave Victoria some hope. On September 15, the Macedon Ranges entered the second step of Premier Daniel Andrews’ roadmap to “covid normal”, while restrictions were extended until September 28 in metropolitan Melbourne. The road out was ‘paused’ on October 27 while the state waited on test results. On November 10, the ring of steel which had divided metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria came down. 12476330-CG03-21
1 SUNBURY & MACEDON RANGES STAR WEEKLY Tuesday, 12 January, 2021