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| COVID-19: Update for Local Government
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| IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR WALGA MEMBERS
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In this issue...
Quick Links
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| WALGA COVID-19 Local Government Survey
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| In February, WALGA undertook a second COVID-19 survey to understand the issues and challenges facing Local Governments and their communities as a result of COVID-19.
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At the time of the survey the current Omicron COVID-19 wave was at an early stage, with daily cases in the low hundreds and still mostly in the Perth metropolitan area.
Significant issues included:
- Local Government workforce shortages: 71% of Local Governments who responded indicated they were experiencing either shortages of workers, skills or increased staff turnover
- supply of products and services: 95% of Local Governments identified they were experiencing shortages of either building materials, machinery and equipment or road and infrastructure materials, and
- labour and supply shortages: 80% of Local Government indicated they were experiencing delays to contracts, 78% increase in project costs and 73% difficulty in sourcing contractors for new works.
Local Governments also identified key actions in their business continuity plans, including implementation of working from home arrangements (87%), additional cleaning and hygiene measures (77%), cohorting or changed roster arrangements (64%) and the use of Rapid Antigen Testing (51%).
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| The third COVID-19 survey has been distributed to CEOs for completion. Results from these surveys will continue to inform the Association's ongoing advocacy to Government.
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| Public Health and Social Measures – additional information
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| Based on Chief Health Officer advice, from 1 April 2022, exposure sites are no longer being published on Healthy WA or other websites.
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The Department of Health will only notify of major outbreak venues, or super-spreader events in WA. This decision to remove exposure sites has been made due to the widespread transmission of COVID-19 throughout metropolitan and regional WA and is aligned with the approach of other Australian jurisdictions.
Contract register requirements remain at most proof of vaccination venues. Please note some venues that are not subject to proof of vaccination requirements are still required to use contact registers.
See the Contact Register FAQs for a full list.
WALGA has received additional information about how the COVID Transmission (Public Health and Social Measures) Directions No. 2 apply to Libraries. It has been clarified that:
- libraries do not have any density or capacity restrictions
- this means that the 2sqm rule or 500 patron caps do not apply in general Library areas, however
- the 2sqm and 500 patron does apply for any function or café within the Library.
Under the Contact Register Directions No. 4, which came into effect on Thursday, 31 March:
- QR Codes and contact registers will not apply to Libraries (hospitality venue rules apply to any café within the library)
- QR Codes and contact registers will not apply to Museums, Galleries/Art Centres (hospitality venue rules apply to any café within the institute), and
- the Museums and Galleries listed in, or that have gained auspice under, the Proof of Vaccination Directions No 5. are still required to check for proof of vaccination.
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| Webinar: COVID-19 and Long COVID
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| WA Primary Health Alliance are partnering with Department of Health to deliver a webinar focusing on the emerging picture for COVID-19 and Long COVID.
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The key speaker is Professor Jeremy Nicholson, Emeritus Professor of Biological Chemistry at Imperial College London (2018-2025) and Pro-Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences at Murdoch University (October 2018-onwards).
Date: Friday, 6 May
Time: 9:00am – 10:30am
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| To register for the webinar, click here.
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| Community Resource Centres to distribute RATs
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| CRCs have been allocated 200,000 boxes of Rapid Antigen Tests for distribution to communities in regional WA.
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| This is an expansion of the distribution of free RATs that has occurred in the Metropolitan area and regional centres at train stations and large shopping centres. It is anticipated RATs will be provided to participating CRCs in the coming weeks.
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| WALGA
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ONE70, LV1, 170 Railway Parade,
West Leederville, WA 6007
PO Box 1544, West Perth, WA 6872
Tel: (08) 9213 2000 | Fax: (08) 9213 2077
Email: covid@walga.asn.au
www.walga.asn.au
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| © Copyright Western Australian Local Government Association 2014
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