8 April 2020
The message for residents this Easter is ‘Stay in your town, stay in your suburb, stay in your home, and stay safe”.
Residents are reminded that travel should be restricted to four essential reasons only:
1. Purchase of food and other essential supplies
2. Access to healthcare or assisting vulnerable persons with access to healthcare
3. Exercise, while still maintaining social distances
4. Work and education if these cannot be undertaken at home
Southern Downs Regional Council CEO David Keenan said he had seen a positive and responsible response from residents regarding social distancing and non-essential travel.
“Residents have shown great dedication to maintaining the 1.5m social distancing and people are adapting their lifestyle to ensure that the most vulnerable in our community are protected from COVID-19,” said Mr David Keenan.
“It is also really excellent to see people maintaining their health and fitness under the current restrictions. Exercise is an excellent way to help maintain your mental health as well.”
If people have questions about how they are able to move around the region, Council encourages people to visit https://www.covid19.qld.gov.au/.
Camp grounds, dams, and playgrounds have been closed due to COVID-19 restrictions, and residents can find a detailed list of closures on the Southern Downs on the COVID-19 Portal at www.sdrc.qld.gov.au.
While these closures have limited outdoor recreational activities, Council offers a variety of online services that can be accessed at home to ensure that Easter is filled with great experiences. Services such as the Southern Downs Regional Libraries online catalogue are filled to bursting with free eMagazines, eBooks, eComics, eLearning, movies, and more. As well as the recently launched ‘Home Delivery Service’. For more information contact Warwick Library on 4661 0342 or Stanthorpe Library on 4681 2141.
The Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery Facebook page is also posting daily ‘art challenges’ and colouring competitions for those looking to explore their creative side. The Warwick Art Gallery Facebook Page also has weekly activities to complete and share with loved ones.
One of the most important things residents can do to show they care about each other the Easter break is stay home. While this isn’t a traditional method of expressing community spirit, it is critical to reduce the amount of time you spend away from the home to essential travel only.
Sending a message, phoning, video-chatting, sharing a funny video or image is no-less sincere than an in-person visit.
For further information on what is considered essential travel please see the below Queensland State Government Direction -
https://www.covid19.qld.gov.au/government-actions/gatherings