Covid has now been a part of our lives for 18 months. Fortunately, until recent weeks, the communities in regions outside of the capital cities have generally not been closely or personally affected. But this is no longer the situation with positive cases becoming more common across regional NSW.
Covid jumps quickly and effectively between people when they come together. Good hand hygiene, wearing of masks and distancing from other people all reduce the potential for the disease to be spread. But this disease is very good at finding ways to grow within communities if there are gaps for it to exploit. This is why Lithgow Council Mayor, Councillor Ray Thompson, has been encouraging a significant tightening up of the borders between Lithgow and metropolitan Sydney saying "This city's eastern border is the frontline of this disease's march into regional NSW. We need to hold that line and stop it. The border of this city needs to be more strongly reinforced with more stringent controls east of it as well."
The health authorities are working tirelessly to protect communities and Lithgow Council is actively supporting these efforts. Mayor Thompson said "Samples are collected twice weekly by Council's staff at the Lithgow sewage plant and couriered to Sydney for testing. At this point, there have been no positive results." "The Council has also encouraged that sites be readied for mass testing in case Covid does present."
Mayor Thompson said, "This pandemic is not a Sydney problem, it is ours as well" "I implore our community to move now to book for vaccination."
Lithgow Council has requested that nursing staff be assigned to work alongside of doctors to administer vaccines more quickly and is hopeful that vaccination clinics will also be rolled out."
