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Hospital Restricts Visitors

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Hospital Restricts Visitors

To help manage the spread of coronavirus, Darling Downs Health is restricting visitors to Toowoomba Hospital.
Novel coronavirus is a highly contagious respiratory illness, with symptoms of fever, coughing, sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath.

Commencing today, until further notice, there will be a limit of one visitor per patient, per day to Toowoomba Hospital. While visitors play an important role in a patient’s recovery, many hospital patients are more vulnerable to disease and complications and need to be protected from exposure to germs.

Technology is an innovative way to stay in touch, and people can stay connected with their loved ones in hospital through phone, text, email, social media or video-chat. Facetime is the new real time, and there are no visiting restrictions on Facetime.

Individual exceptions will be considered. Please contact the Nurse Unit Manager regarding your family’s situation. It is imperative that if anyone in the community is feeling unwell, that they do not visit anyone in the Toowoomba Hospital.

Anyone who is concerned about their health can call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) to speak with a registered nurse, speak with their GP or alternatively take the COVID-19 quiz ….
www.qld.gov.au/health/conditions/health-alerts/coronavirus-covid-19/novel-coronavirus-quiz
[cleveryoutube video=”-kU8Xv2CYJM” vidstyle=”1″ pic=”” afterpic=”” width=”” quality=”inherit” starttime=”” endtime=”” caption=”” showexpander=”off” alignment=”left” newser=”” margin=”true”]For more information about COVID-19 coronavirus, visit www.health.qld.gov.au/coronavirus
Submitted by:
Media Officer
Media, Communication and Engagement
Darling Downs Health

Coronavirus Closes Village

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Coronavirus Closes Village

The management of Highfields Pioneer Village, Museum & Park Inc. has made the decision to close their gates to the public.

Volunteers essential to maintenance will still be onsite daily to maintain the Village and it’s animals and gardens, but will follow coronavirus protocol (staying home if you feel unwell, maintaining a 1.5m distance and washing hands frequently).

Volunteer Manager Ray Ashford OAM says “Our volunteers are working towards the opening of the Big Cow in September, all being well. Please stay well and keep safe, thank you all for your support”.

The decision follows a very important yet reluctant determination to cancel the Easter Vintage Festival.  “The event has been running for over 23 years. It has been sad times for our volunteers but we are using this time to maintain the Village displays and work on our Big Cow” Ray says. Volunteers hope to host a new festival in September if the coast is clear.

President Mervyn Polzin and his brother Keith practice social distancing in front of the historic cookhouse built by their forebears for smoking and preserving wursts and baking bread (Willy Wood photo)

The Volunteers of Highfields Pioneer Village are renowned for their age-old skills and passing down of knowledge to younger generations. Their oldest member is 101 years old and their youngest 9 weeks.

“People during wartime survived using skills such as preserving food when rationing was in effect, people were not permitted to ‘panic buy’ and were issued with ration cards. No foods went to waste and local agricultural production was increased to support our military”. Ray says. “On top of all this it coincided with the Spanish flu, people had to improvise and make do with what they had”.

One of Ray’s favourite displays at the Village is the Farmer’s Ingenuity Collection, “It just goes to show how resilient people were in the olden days…we might not be able to make a silk purse from a sow’s ear but we can learn from our forebears to live from the land”.

To keep up to date with the happenings at the Village please follow their Facebook page.

Submitted by:
Jody Dodds
Treasurer
Highfields Pioneer Village, Museum and Park Inc.
73 Wirraglen Rd, Highfields.
P.O Box 325, Highfields QLD 4352.
07 4696 6309
Dedicated to preserving the history of the Darling Downs for future generations. 

 

Lifeline Darling Downs COVID-19 Community Response

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Lifeline Darling Downs COVID-19 Community Response

Lifeline Darling Downs has issued a statement regarding COVID-19 and how they are responding to the ever-changing environment.

We would like to reassure the various communities we operate in across the Darling Downs and far South West of Queensland that we are still open for business having put measures in place to protect our staff, our volunteers and our clients”, Lifeline Darling Downs CEO, Derek Tuffield OAM said.

Some of the key services we continue to offer are;

ï‚· Lifeline Darling Downs will continue to offer our free, confidential, professional counselling service via the telephone until COVID-19 has passed.
ï‚· Emergency Relief assistance continues from our Head Office at 33 Russell Street, Toowoomba on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays.
ï‚· A New Toll-Free local number 1800 951 052 has now been established for members of the local community to contact them in relation to local support.
ï‚· Currently all of our retail stores continue to operate and are receiving their winter stock supplies.
 Our Containers for Change” container recycling facilities at 31 Nicholson Street, Dalby and 187 Perth Street, Toowoomba remain operational.

It is vitally important that we support the community through this difficult time and we will endeavour to provide as many services as we can”, Mr Tuffield said.

If you or someone you care for is in need of support you can contact call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or chat to a crisis supporter via text Lifeline on 0477 13 11 14 (6pm – midnight AEDT) or online at lifeline.org.au (7pm – midnight AEDT).

Council Announces Closures

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Council Announces Closures


Toowoomba Regional Council (TRC) will temporarily close all Library facilities, Art Galleries, Milne Bay Aquatic and Fitness Centre, Highfields Fitness and Recreation Centre and Toowoomba City Community Rooms from the close of business Monday 23rd March, 2020 until further notice.

Toowoomba Regional Council CEO Brian Pidgeon said the decision to close these facilities is based on advice provided by the government and community expectations.

During this unprecedented event, we must abide by the advice given to us by the State and Federal Governments,” Mr Pidgeon said.

He went on to say, “During this difficult time, the health and well-being of our community and staff our number one priority. We’ve already seen a reduction in volunteers and attendances at these facilities and our staff will continue to monitor the evolving situation.”

The decision will see the closure of all:
·      Libraries (including Toowoomba City Library community rooms)
·      Council-run Art Galleries
·      Milne Bay Aquatic and Fitness Centre; and
·      Highfields Fitness and Recreation Centre.

Mr Pidgeon said, The current situation requires swift but measured action, and we’re doing our best to respond as quickly as possible to Queensland Health’s advice, partnered with our own risk assessment.”

Council is not removing the service, the closures are in response to community sentiment and our number one priority during this difficult time, the health and wellbeing of our community and staff.”

Submitted by:
Michael Duff
Senior Media Relations Officer
Stakeholder Engagement and Communications
Toowoomba Regional Council

 

 

Remote Learning Ready To Launch At Glennie

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Remote Learning Ready To Launch At Glennie

The Glennie School is now prepared to launch its comprehensive remote learning program (I Love Glennie Schooling) when the campus closes on Friday (27th March).

Teachers have long been prepared for the possible need to extend their current face-to-face teaching practices into a remote learning situation.

Mr Peter Crawley

Mr Peter Crawley, the Glennie School Principal, said that teachers had prepared a suite of teaching and learning materials to provide a genuine schooling experience for girls across all year levels. “We are well placed to deliver content that continues direct teaching and that will be complemented with practical and hands on activities that the girls will be able to engage with at any time.”

“By working in a remote capacity and not trying to live stream classes, we have taken into account internet network capacities, changed home environments in case parents are working from home alongside the girls learning at home, and the geographical spread of our boarders.”

Teachers will also be able to host online discussions, provide remote feedback and monitor student interaction with the learning materials provided to them.

“Through Glennie’s regular use of Google Classroom for messages and discussions, the girls are very calm and confident about extending this practice into a remote environment,” he said.

Mr Crawley went on to say that pastoral care remained a priority for teachers, “The wellbeing of our students remains at the heart of all that we do at Glennie and regular well-being check-ins will be implemented as we move into a fully remote environment.”

The Glennie School is also able to assist other schools and students by making remote learning materials available.

Submitted by:
Mrs Tammy Wilson
Marketing and Community Engagement Manager
W: www.glennie.qld.edu.au

A Statement From DownsSteam

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A Statement From DownsSteam

COVID-19 UPDATE
On the 19th of March 2020 the Darling Downs Historical Railway Society Ltd. (DownsSteam) board of directors decided in the interest of protecting the health and safety of both our visitors and our volunteers, DownsSteam Drayton will be CLOSED to the general public from now until the 19th of May 2020.

All events planned to take place during this shutdown are hereby POSTPONED for a later date.

This action has not been taken lightly as our organisation relies on visitors and functions to operate. We will continue to monitor local and national reports on the evolving impacts of Covid-19 and will revise this notice as required.

Thank you for your understanding and ongoing support during this time.

Issued by Ros Scotney – Chair 17-03-2020

Dam Closes To Public Access

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Dam Closes To Public Access

Toowoomba Regional Council has again closed Cooby Dam to the public until further notice.
Toowoomba Regional Council Water and Waste General Manager Damian Platts said Council officers had detected high levels of Saxitoxin, which if ingested may cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and possible diarrhea.

Council will close entry gates to Loveday Cove, and the Cooby Dam wall picnic areas and signage will be put in place indicating the closure of areas to the public until further notice,” Mr Platts said.

Mr Platts said the test results meant Council had closed the facility as a safety precaution. Council will conduct its regular testing regime to determine when the dam can re-open,” Mr Platts said.

Lake Perseverance and Lake Cressbrook also remain closed to the public. To view activities open or closed at the dams, please visit www.tr.qld.gov.au/damstatus

The toxin represents no risk to drinking water supplies as the water treatment, and disinfection process removes them.

Council monitors the three dams weekly for algae and numerous microbiological parameters including E.coli. We also test chemical parameters such as iron, manganese, alkalinity, hardness, ammonia, nitrate, colour, turbidity and phosphate.

Submitted by:
Michael Duff
Senior Media Relations Officer
Stakeholder Engagement and Communications
 

Toowoomba Royal Show Cancellation

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Toowoomba Royal Show Cancellation

Coronavirus has claimed another victim with the announcement that the 2020 Heritage Bank Toowoomba Royal Show has been cancelled.

Last week the Prime Minister and COAG jointly advised against organised, non-essential gatherings of 500 people or more. A raft of entertainment and sporting events cancellations quickly followed, as well as  conferences, meetings and the like, and the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

After an Executive Committee Meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland (RASQ), President Shane Charles said the decision to cancel “was one of the most painful decisions ever taken by the Society.”

Toowoomba’s iconic event was due to be held from Thursday 26th March until Saturday 28th March. Mr Charles went on to say “the Show impacts on tens of thousands of local citizens as well as retailers, exhibitors, presenters, entertainers and judges from interstate and overseas.”

The cancellation also has significant ramifications for our regional economy, given visitors will now not be utilising accommodation venues and restaurants and  purchasing goods in local shops.

Show CEO Damon Phillips said, “We’d hoped the Show would be a special occasion for our farmers for our farmers and graziers to celebrate the recent good rains after years of dreadful drought. The cancellation is particularly disappointing in that regard.”

“However, the health and safety of our patrons , exhibitors and volunteers is paramount and the final decision was indeed the right one to take,” he said.

It is anticipated by Monday, March 23rd a timetable will be in place to deal with 2020 contractual matthers, sponsorship and refunds. The RASQ committee will now commence work ing towards the 2021 Show program at its next meeting.

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