IN a desolate and deserted Maude Street Mall, Local Member for Northern Victoria, Wendy Lovell took time out to call on the Victorian Government to provide a plan to deal with the current outbreak of Covid that has brought Shepparton to a halt.
“Well done Shepparton. It’s fantastic to see the way that you have responded, and to those who are volunteering their time and members of my own family had been out delivering meals to people in isolation. It’s fantastic to see the way that our community has rallied around those who are unfortunately in isolation due to this outbreak,” said Ms Lovell.
“I think what this outbreak actually really shows is that although COVID-19 has been around for 18 months in Victoria, the state government had no plan of how they would respond to a serious outbreak in a regional community where it impacts far more intensely.”
Ms Lovell was asked what sort of measures should have been taken and who should be implementing it?
“Well, the state government should have had a response plan for a regional community. It’s obvious that an impact like this in a regional community you’d be far more intense than an impact in a suburban area.
“I knew the Emergency Services Commissioner arrived Wednesday. So obviously there’s some action happening now, but it’s just a little bit too late,” said Ms Lovell.
As the pandemic bites deeper into the community with more people infected and more locations closed as deemed hotspots, it begs the question, what would a contingency plan have looked like that might have prevented the extent of exposure and how to mobilise the support needed to deal with it.
