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COVID-19 update Supporting our community during the pandemic MAY 2020 Business as (new) usual While you’re social distancing at home, Council is continuing to deliver essential services. Care workers are shopping and cleaning for vulnerable residents Community bus drivers are delivering meals Redeployed librarians are calling residents to connect Storytellers are entertaining children online Maternal child health nurses are calling new mothers Local laws officers are supporting the community Arborists are trimming trees Waste collection truck drivers are collecting garbage Contractors are repairing streets and footpaths Business support officers are visiting local businesses Specialist cleaners are cleaning frequently Nurses are providing flu immunisations Council is keeping the community informed Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter bayside.vic.gov.au/enews @BaysideCityCouncil @BaysideCouncil Librarian Nan is keeping Bayside’s kids entertained with online storytimeMessage from the Mayor and Councillors On behalf of my fellow Councillors and Council staff, I want to reassure you that Bayside City Council is working hard to support our community through the challenges of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Council is still providing a wide range of essential services, continuously adapting how we deliver these services according to the latest advice from the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services and Australian Department of Health. This includes a significant redeployment of staff. Just one example is using redeployed staff to fill the gaps where volunteers have had to self- isolate. Our library staff are providing support across the organisation including delivering meals and staffing our community services hotline. We are prioritising services to Bayside’s most vulnerable residents including continuing to support our older residents through in-home care, delivered meals and keeping in regular contact through our new social connections program. The ever-evolving outbreak is having a significant impact on the day to day life of all Australians and people around the world. It’s important to come together as a community to support one another where possible. The advice on the best way we can beat this virus is very clear: if you can stay home, you must stay home. If conflicted about whether to leave home, the simple answer is don’t. During this time, the support you are giving your family, friends, neighbours, local businesses, and in particular our elderly is just so important. I urge you to keep it up. I had the opportunity to call a number senior residents recently and the response I had has certainly inspired me to do more. A simple chat on the phone makes a big difference; I encourage you to do the same. Bayside is a strong and connected community – let’s build on that and create new connections during this challenging time and bring a smile to those alone at home. Who knows, you may make new friends for life. If you’re feeling isolated or you are concerned about someone in Bayside, we can help. Contact us on 9599 4444. Mayor of Bayside City Council, Cr Clarke Martin Stay safe There are only four reasons to leave your home 1 Shopping for what you need - food and essential supplies 2 Medical, care or compassionate needs 3 Exercise in compliance with the public gathering requirements 4 Work and study if you can’t work or learn remotely If you can stay home you must stay home A message from the Mayor and Councillors L/R: Cr Michael Heffernan, Cr Sonia Castelli, Cr Alex del Porto, Cr James Long BM JP, Mayor Cr Clarke Martin, Deputy Mayor Cr Rob Grinter, Cr Laurence Evans OAM. Stay healthy For more information on how to stay healthy visit: § dhhs.vic.gov.au/coronavirus § health.gov.au Stay connected For the latest updates on Council Services and how we can help: § Visit bayside.vic.gov.au § Follow Council’s Facebook page @Bayside City Council § Call us on 9599 4444 § Subscribe to our e-news updates at bayside.vic.gov.au/enewsCouncil services and facilities Aged care and delivered meals Aged care and delivered meals services are continuing following strict hygiene and social distancing guidelines. ( Customer Service 9599 4444 Bayside Corporate Centre The Bayside Corporate Centre customer service counter is closed until further notice. A full range of services are available online or by phone. ( Customer Service 9599 4444 Beaches You are able to access walking paths and the foreshore for essential exercise but congregating is not permitted and social distancing guidelines must be adhered to. Dog beaches remain open and normal dog walking restrictions apply. Community facilities The Black Rock Activity Centre, Community Bus service, Bayside Men's Sheds, Peterson Youth Centre and Seniors Centres are closed until further notice. Council meetings Currently, Council and Committee meetings will proceed without members of the public present. The meetings will be livestreamed via Council’s website. Events All upcoming Council events have been cancelled or postponed. Follow Council’s Facebook and Twitter pages for changes to scheduled events. Immunisation sessions Immunisation sessions are continuing as advertised but bookings are now essential. ( Family Services 9599 4755 Libraries Libraries are closed until further notice. You can access a vast array of library services online. Turn to page 5 for more information. o bayside.spydus.com Local businesses We've pulled together listings of businesses that are still open and operating within State Guidelines to help support local traders. o bayside.vic.gov.au and search ‘Open for business directory’ Maternal and child health Maternal and child health appointments are now taking place via telephone or email. All appointments must now be pre-booked. ( Family Services 9599 4755 Parking Parking and traffic services are continuing as normal. Normal parking restrictions apply. Pets and animals Lost dogs found by Council can be collected by appointment directly from the Lost Dogs Home. Animal registrations are continuing as normal. ( Customer Service 9599 4444 Playgrounds, skate parks and outdoor gyms All playgrounds, skate parks and outdoor gyms are closed in line with State Guidelines. Sharps collection Sharps collection and drop off are by appointment only. ( Environmental Health 9599 4417 Waste, recycling and hard rubbish collection Waste, recycling and hard rubbish collections continue as normal. Residents are asked to place their rubbish bins in easy reach. Please contact Customer Service for further assistance. ( 9599 4444 Building and maintenance is continuing as planned during the COVID-19 outbreak. Road maintenance, footpath improvements and environmental protection works continue along our foreshore. Council is taking advantage of reduced foot traffic to deliver essential upgrades to our activity centres including pedestrian upgrades for Church and Bay Street villages. All construction sites have been asked to follow social distancing requirements and practice good hand washing hygiene. Let’s work together to stay safe. C apital Works COVID-19 Update Dog beaches remain open. Normal dog walking restrictions apply. COVID-19 update 3Care workers step up Our care workers provide a lifeline for older residents and those who may be experiencing vulnerability following government advice to stay home during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. We provide a range of services that are vital to support residents’ mental, social and physical health and wellbeing. Care workers follow strict health and hygiene guidelines and are continuing to provide a range of practical assistance and socialisation services. SHOPPING SERVICES Our care workers are currently supporting approximately 1800 clients with a range of services including shopping during the major supermarkets’ dedicated early morning community hours so residents in high risk groups can stay home. Council also delivered toilet paper exclusively to residents who receive delivered meals thanks to a generous donation from Woolworths. DELIVERED MEALS During March, 1,318 meals were delivered and 86 care workers provided more than 5,500 rostered services to 1,746 residents. SOCIAL CONNECTIONS We’ve also introduced a social connection telephone program to connect with senior residents. In addition, Council staff have telephoned approximately 2,000 older residents to check on their wellbeing and identify any additional assistance they may need. These calls help tackle social isolation by keeping people connected while respecting social distancing requirements. WE CAN HELP Anyone in need of aged care support is encouraged to call 9599 4444 or visit bayside.vic.gov.au/assistance Support for businesses Council is supporting our small businesses and traders through the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The Bayside small business economic support package includes financial relief such as refunds on food act registrations and footpath trading permits as well as assistance for businesses to keep trading within new health and safety restrictions. Council’s environmental health officers have visited 450 local cafes and restaurants to provide education and resources to help them move to take away and home delivery services. Council officers are also visiting health, beauty and other businesses affected by trading restrictions to assist them to operate safely. Local businesses are also receiving a promotions boost via a new “Still Open for Businesses” directory on Council’s website with over 300 Bayside businesses listed. By shopping local, our community can support traders and businesses who are still operating online or via delivery/take away. Council has also extended our curfew for truck delivery times to support our traders and make sure our residents have access to essential goods. Open for Business Directory The #BaysideStrongTogether campaign promotes and supports Bayside businesses that are still open, working online and/or taking telephone orders. Share your story by using the hashtag #BaysideStrongTogether bayside.vic.gov.au/still-open-business-directory Council delivered over 100 packs of hot cross buns to delivered meals clients over Easter. 4 COVID-19 updateWelcome to the eLibrary Library members can access thousands of books, movies, audio and educational resources Bayside libraries are currently closed but our online library is well and truly open. Simply visit bayside.spydus.com Library members can access thousands of books, movies, audio and educational resources through the eLibrary from the safety of home. With many students now remote learning for home, it’s a great time to access educational resources including dictionaries, encyclopaedias, apps to learn coding or speak a new language. Bayside libraries have a huge range of online resources to keep anyone educated and entertained. BorrowBox, RBdigital and Libby by Overdrive offer access to eBooks, audiobooks, magazines and comics. Find My Past - delve into your personal history with databases covering Australia, New Zealand and the UK. PressReader - popular newspapers and magazines from around the world. Oxford University Press - two million + entries across dictionaries, companions and encyclopaedias. Kanopy - more than 30,000 critically- acclaimed movies, documentaries and foreign films. Australian and New Zealand Reference Centre - regional and international periodicals, reference books, biographies and images. Mango Languages - learn more than 70 languages with this easy- to-use online system. GVRL Travel Guides - explore the world with searchable DK Eyewitness Travel Guides. Britannica Library - encyclopaedia articles, journals, periodicals, atlases, dictionaries and more. Story Box - fantastic stories read aloud by brilliant storytellers, as well as animated read-along books, and games. Library Storytime Facebook Live - hear your favourite children’s classic read aloud by one of our fabulous librarians. Follow Bayside Library Service on Facebook to stay up to date with the next Storytime Facebook Live. LIVE STORYTIME Our librarians have been putting on a show including pyjama-party themed singalongs. COVID-19 update 5 If you're not already a Bayside library member, it's easy to join online. Visit bayside.spydus.com For our dedicated student resources page, visit bayside.vic.gov.au and search ‘educate and entertain’Resources for vulnerable residents We are here to support all residents through the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic 6 COVID-19 updateSTAY HOME The Australian Government has issued advice for senior residents to self-isolate at home to the maximum extent practicable for those: • over 70 years of age • over 60 years of age who have existing health conditions • Indigenous Australians over the age of 50 who have existing health conditions. We encourage these groups and those with a disability to stay home. SHOPPING If you have family, friends or neighbours who can shop for you, please utilise their support. Never share your bank or credit card details with strangers. Council care workers can also shop for you. ( 9599 4444 to arrange this service. ONLINE SHOPPING There are a number of online shopping options: Bayside Still Open for Business Directory of local businesses who will do deliveries or take away – o bayside.vic.gov.au Priority online supermarket home delivery services for eligible customers: o woolworths.com.au o coles.com.au o iga.com.au ( 1800 018 384 BASIC BOXES Coles and Woolworths/Australia Post are offering Basics or Community Boxes containing meals, snacks and essential items for two people for one week. The boxes are for eligible customers including anyone with a My Aged Care number or NDIS number. You can also refer someone else for a box. Cost of a box is $80 o woolworths.com.au ( 1800 904 698 o coles.com.au We can assist you to order a basic box. ( 9599 4444 CARE PACKAGES Free care packages are available for residents with no access to food and essential supplies under a program introduced by the Victorian Government to support people in mandatory self-isolation, who have little or no food, and no network of family and friends to support them. ( 1800 675 398 to order a care package. BayCISS provides local emergency relief including food parcels to residents experiencing isolation or financial difficulty. ( 9555 9910 IN-HOME SUPPORT We provide a range of services designed to support you, or the person you care for including: • Meals and shopping • Transport • Cleaning assistance • Showering and hygiene assistance • Safety related home maintenance • Respite care. Our staff adhere to strict health and hygiene guidelines as outlined by the Department of Health and Human Services. ( 9599 4444 PHARMACY DELIVERIES Australia Post has launched a Pharmacy Home Delivery Service to support vulnerable members of the community and those in self-isolation. Check with your local pharmacy to see if they are part of this service. STAY CONNECTED We can help you stay connected during self-isolation. We have staff who can visit you in your home or have a chat through our new social connection program. We can also connect you to other local agencies or support services for additional assistance. Avoiding social isolation is an essential part of maintaining our residents’ health and wellbeing. ( 9599 4444 for assistance OTHER SERVICES AND SUPPORT The Australian Government’s Head to Health website includes a range of online mental health support tips and advice. o headtohealth.gov.au If you are in need of assistance, we can help. ( 9599 4444 to speak to our team If you suspect you may have COVID-19 (Coronavirus) call the dedicated hotline ( 1800 675 398. Council provides a range of services designed for older residents, those with a disability and their carers REDEPLOYMENT SUCCESS Librarian Liz is now working with our Community Services team, calling aged care clients.Community Grants Annual GRANTS OF UP TO $7,500We invite local not-for-profit groups that contribute to making Bayside a better place to live to apply for a Community Grant. Our Annual Community Grants Program supports organisations to strengthen and enrich community life through programs and activities in a range of areas including leisure, cultural awareness, environment, health, education, sporting and welfare. APPLY NOW Don’t miss out, applications close Friday 5 June, 2pm1988 Council is here to help We are here to support our residents through the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. If you, or someone you know are in need of assistance, we can help. Our staff adhere to strict health and hygiene guidelines as outlined by the Department of Health and Human Services. We provide a range of services including • Meal delivery • Shopping • Transport • Cleaning assistance • Showering and hygiene assistance • Safety related home maintenance • Respite care • Social connection through a daily chat with one of our staff to brighten anyone’s day The information in this newsletter is correct at time of printing. As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic is ever-evolving, please refer to the recommended websites for the most up to date information and advice. Call Council on 9599 4444 to speak with one of our friendly teamNext >