Shepparton in crisis as COVID shuts down city

By in Australian Economy

| 18 comments

The regional city of Shepparton in northern Victoria is in crisis with an estimated 17,000 residents – close to one-third of its population – now isolating after 50 positive COVID cases have been detected and the number of exposure sites have ballooned.

The numbers in isolation is putting a huge strain on essential services, including supermarket click and collect orders that are being cancelled, leaving many without groceries.

Pharmacies are relying on volunteers and hundreds of health professionals across the regional city have been furloughed.

Greater Shepparton City Mayor Kim O’Keeffe appeared on ABC News Breakfast this morning appealing for greater Victorian Government support. O’Keeffe said she expects numbers to “keep rising” in the coming days and that the community was struggling with on the ground supplies and in “desperate need” of help:

“We have so many spots in hotspots that are closing. We have supermarkets that don’t have enough staff because we have over 20,000 people in isolation, many workers and students, so we are really in need of extra support. Our local hospital here is down 450 staff. We need support in the health system. The critical thing is getting medical supplies and food to those in our community, to try and get that to 20,000 people”.

The Victorian Government has sent an emergency team into Shepparton to put ‘boots on the ground’ and assist with filling grocery orders and providing healthcare.

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Comments

  2. ErmingtonPlumbingMEMBER

    Societal collapse imminent?
    I’m stocking up on toilet paper and baked beans (In Ham sauce of course)

    • JohnRMEMBER

      Wagners, that rings a bell. Wiley Wolf use to yarn about them.
      Only ~2 years into the pandemic…are we acting too hastily?

      • CarlosMEMBER

        Wagner’s got tangled up in litigation around the Grantham flood yrs ago around their quarry being part of the cause.
        Their wellcamp airport has become a freight export , import success after people thought it would fail.
        And their quarantine facility will likely be successful too, cos the proposed federal facility will be tangled in the usual gov’t beaurocracy, delays and corruption for 3 yrs until it’s built.
        There’ll be international flights landing at wellcamp in 6 mths.
        Toowoomba is a bugger of a place in winter, though no worse than Melbourne I guess

        • Mining BoganMEMBER

          No, Toowoomba is worse. Much colder but Melbourne’s winter is longer.

          Although, I do remember a boxing day at Mum’s place when the maximum was 11°. Had the oil heater going and everything. Year round winter in Queensland.

    • CaptainFooBar

      Can someone please explain why we need these camps that won’t be completed until next year? Aren’t we suppose to be open by then? I’m confused.

      • CarlosMEMBER

        Cos when we open up covid is gonna take to the sky’s in a big way.
        Likely all immigration will come in via these camps.
        It’s gonna be a money spinner.

      • HixtarMEMBER

        Opening up and ‘living with the virus’ is contingent on robust public health measures of which the first line of defence is quarantine. Plus, there will be other viruses in future.

        Any immigration will be via quarantine centres. Tourism will likely only be open to fully vaccinated people with Rapid Antigen Testing requirements for hotel stays.

  5. ggdesuMEMBER

    We may find Wellcamp opening as a COVID Hospital before its used for quarantine if COVID gets out in QLD.