Suzanna Sheed calls for feet on the ground

Independent Member for Shepparton District Suzanna Sheed has called on the Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews to respond to Shepparton residents’ critical needs amid the lockdown, which has seen almost a third of the city’s population in 14-day isolation.

“Due to the number of workers in isolation, many local food suppliers and the logistics they need to deliver food, are unable to provide the community with its basic needs,” Ms Sheed said.

“Shepparton supermarkets have been identified as exposure sites – one major outlet has been closed, others are telling us that their staff rates have been reduced by 80 per cent today. “This is creating limited or long delays in processing orders.

“We need logistical support to get feet on the ground to undertake many of the basic tasks that assist to put food on the table for our Shepparton community who are currently in lockdown.

“In addition to ensuring that our most vulnerable people are supported through regular government agencies, people need to know that they can get deliveries of food and medications.

“I am greatly concerned that our elderly residents may not be receiving the level of care they need due to a reduced workforce in aged care centres.”

Ms Sheed provided the Victorian Government with Shepparton’s critical needs list, which includes:

1. More staff at Goulburn Valley Health to ensure critical services are provided.

2. We need more testing stations. As more schools and exposure sites are identified the number of tests required continues to grow and by next week there will be people ready for their day 13 testing.

3. Our supermarkets are facing a crisis of staff shortages and have been exposure sites. We need the army to assist them with restoring online ordering, packing food and groceries and delivering goods throughout the community.

4. The COVID hotline needs more resourcing. People are anxious and need urgent access to information and resources. The wait times are long and contributing to general anxiety.

5. A push for community vaccinations in the form of advertising, broader communication, and clear information that Pfizer is now available to over 16-year-olds along with longer opening hours.

 

Media contact

Elaine Cooney 0447 820 466 │elaine.cooney@parliament.vic.gov.au

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