Moira Hits Double Figures of Infected, with One Death
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Phone 5862 1034 – Fax 5862 2668 – Email - Editorial: [email protected] - Advertising: [email protected] – Registered by Australia Post – Publication No. VA 1548 established 1895 LEADER NumurkahWEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2020 $1.30 INSIDE Aged care lockdown See story page 3 Appeal goes virtual Still fundraising ... Numurkah CFA’s John Shrimpton and Peter Bilston are calling A cuppa on the Numurkah community to go out of their way to donate to the RCH this with Geoff Friday. See story page 5. See story pages 6 & 7 Moira hits double fi gures of infected, with one death THE number of con rmed COVID-19 cases in Currently 45 people are in hospital – including rise – the expansion of the testing criteria will allow Moira Shire continues to climb, with 10 cases listed 11 patients in intensive care – and 620 people have us to get a clearer picture of how much the virus is as at lunchtime Monday. recovered. circulating,” Professor Su on said. One case has already proved fatal, with a woman in ere are 88 con rmed cases of COVID-19 in If someone in the following categories displays her 70s having died at Goulburn Valley Health last Victoria that may have been acquired through com- clinical symptoms – a fever or acute respiratory in- Wednesday. munity transmission. More than 57,000 tests have fection – they will now be tested for COVID-19. e woman is believed to have recently returned been conducted to date. • Childcare and early childhood education from a holiday in New Zealand and was self-isolat- Victoria’s testing criteria for COVID-19 have • Primary or secondary schools; and ing at home when she was diagnosed. been broadened to include people whose employ- • Fire ghters who are emergency medical re- Greater Shepparton currently has eight con rmed ment and contact with the broader public may place sponders cases. them at higher risk of exposure to any virus which e total number of COVID-19 cases in Victoria may be circulating in the community. • People aged 65 years and older. Generous is 1,158 – an increase of 23 from Sunday, as testing Victoria’s Chief Health O cer Professor Bre “ ese new criteria do not mean our stage three for the virus expands. Su on said the changes are aimed at striking a bal- restrictions should be relaxed. e reverse is true, Of the total 1,158 cases, there have been 940 in ance between identifying cases that are not linked to we must continue these actions to a en the curve,” donation Melbourne and 212 in regional Victoria. A number known travel or other risks and maintaining current Professor Su on said. of cases remain under investigation. suppression e orts targeted at returned travellers Contact tracing of all known cases will contin- e total number of cases includes 608 men and and contacts of current cases. ue so that anyone who has been exposed to a con- See story page 9 550 women. Cases range in age from babies to their “ e number of community acquired cases con- rmed case completes the mandatory 14 days in early nineties. tracted from an unknown source are continuing to self-isolation. www.numurkahleader.net.au 2 — NumurkahLEADER, Wednesday, April 8, 2020 PETER COX & SONS FUNERALDIRECTORS Mayor’s message – COVID-19 update Professional service tailored to your needs THE COVID-19 pandemic is continuing, and Locally owned & operated 24 hours - 7 days a week unlike the scenes we see on television, it is great our local residents are playing their part by stay- Funeral calls and information ing at home. Normally we welcome visitors to the shire, however at this stage we are discouraging visi- Cnr5862 Meiklejohn &3047 Quinn Streets tors, to minimise the risk to locals and our health ACCREDITED MEMBER OF THE AUSTRALIAN FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION care system. We are commi ed to helping all the commu- nities in Moira Shire who are facing unprece- dented hardship conditions, both nancially and Find us on emotionally. Our COVID-19 Financial Hardship Policy is just one of many initiatives we are pu ing in place and this policy will apply to all rateable properties within the shire. We are actively working with individual rate- facebook.com/ payers who already have payment plans in place Numurkah NumurkahLeader/ or have requested a plan to be put in place. LEADER @NumurkahLeader I would like to encourage any ratepayer who would like to discuss se ing up a payment plan to suit their needs, or anyone who is in nancial di culty, to give us a call. In addition, we are not charging user fees to all sporting clubs that use municipal land or build- ings and whose seasons have been a ected by Committed to helping Feeling this health crisis. e rent for the June quarter has also been ... Mayor Libro Mustica waived for enterprises that operate from council reassures Moira residents. cooped up at owned or managed land which have been a ect- ed by the enforced business closures. Council facilities, including sports stadiums, Our customer service centres in Yarrawonga e latest advice is we have potentially months home? recreation reserves, playgrounds, skate parks, and Cobram remain closed for the foreseeable of restrictions as we head towards winter, so if public barbecues and public exercise equipment, future as do our visitor service centres. we all play our part we will be be er placed to are closed. However, there are multiple ways you can still recover from the health and economic impacts Along with the Tungamah, Strathmerton and contact us. Yabba transfer stations, all resource recovery Visit our website www.moira.vic.gov.au, email that are hurting our small communities. sheds are now closed and no access will be grant- us at [email protected] or simply pick up Please stay safe and stay at home unless you No need to ed. the phone and call us on (03) 5871 9222. need to leave for an approved activity. miss out on all the local news. 2020 VCE and VCAL timelines revised IN the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation of school-based assessment and external Wednesday, April 15. Victorian Government has announced that Vic- exams. ese new arrangements will remain in place torian government-school students will learn VCAL students will have more time to com- for the duration of term two and will then be re- from home when term two commences next plete their courses and this will be consistent viewed. week, and that VCE timelines will be revised for with the revised dates for the VCE. Small groups of VCE and VCAL students can Digital the 2020 school year. e Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Au- a end school on-site for short periods if their VCE students will still receive an ATAR score, thority (VCAA) is also examining a compressed learning requirements cannot be conducted at but there will be a number of changes to the ac- end-of-year exam schedule – including slightly home. Physical distancing provisions will be subscriptions ademic timetable for VCE and VCAL students: shortening each exam – in recognition of the made for the safety of teachers and kids. • e GAT test will move from June to Octo- disruption caused by the pandemic. Premier Daniel Andrews, who has a son cur- ber or November. A small number of students undertaking VET now available • End of year exams will be postponed until at may have the award of their VCE or VCAL de- rently studying VCE, said he knows this year will least December. layed until the beginning of 2021 so they can be di erent to any that students, teachers and • School based assessment tasks will be re- complete mandatory practical or workplace families have experienced before, but the State www.numurkahleader.net.au duced, where possible, to relieve some pressure learning requirements – ensuring that they are Government is making sure that Victorian kids on students as they move to remote and exible not disadvantaged by the lack of hands-on prac- still get the education they deserve. learning arrangements. tice. “We’ve done the work and planning so we’re • Universities will be asked to delay the start of Victorian government schools, which are cur- ready to make the move to remote and exible the 2021 university year to account for impacts rently on school holidays, will recommence learning, and I want to thank everyone involved 1 months $5.95 of coronavirus on senior secondary students. on Tuesday, April 14, with a pupil-free day, for their dedication to our kids’ education at this 12 months $54.95 VCE study scores will continue to be a combi- with students to begin classes, from home, on unprecedented time,” he said. NumurkahLEADER POLICE BEAT Ph. 5862 1034 88 Melville St, Numurkah Two fi res at Yarroweyah Numurkah Leader is THE end of the 2019/2020 re atah and Tocumwal brigades were bound by the Standards danger period coincided with a turned out to a shed re, near the Two cannabis seizures of Practice of the relatively quiet week for local bri- corner of the Murray Valley and TWO local people have been She was bailed to appear at Shep- Australian Press gades, with just two res, both of Goulburn Valley Highways, Yar- questioned in relation to cultivat- parton Magistrates’ Court. Council. If you believe which were at Yarroweyah. roweyah at 4.30am on Monday. ing cannabis, a er two separate sei- A 37 year-old man was ques- the Standards may have been breached, Yarroweyah brigade a ended a zures of plants.