Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding encourages vigilance as community deals with COVID-19 outbreak
The mayor of the community at the centre of Queensland’s latest COVID-19 outbreak admits people are afraid and that there is likely to be a surge in new cases, but she has urged calm and vigilance.
QLD News
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Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding has urged her community to not panic after a spate of new COVID-19 cases overnight.
Cr Harding said she expected cases to surge as thousands of people come forward to be tested in the wake of the latest outbreak.
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Six of Queensland’s new cases are linked to a 77-year-old woman who worked as a supervisor at the Brisbane Youth Detention Centre.
Those cases are located in Carindale, Marsden, North Ipswich and Forest Lake.
“There is fear. People are scared. But I need to let people know that we have got their backs,” Cr Harding said.
“West Moreton Health and Queensland Health have ramped things up really quickly. I am really proud of the team here. Also council staff are helping with contact tracing and helping set up those extra pop-up clinics.
Cr Harding urged people to be “extra vigilant against the invisible enemy in our community”.
“We all need to band together to make sure we stop COVID in its tracks in Ipswich,” she said.
“I spoke with the Deputy Premier today and he said we really need to boost up our level of alertness.”
Cr Harding commended those who had tested positive for coming forward and co-operating with authorities.
“Firstly to the people who have tested positive, I want to say we’ve got your back,” she said.
“Thank you very much for coming forward and being tested.
“And thank you so much for being very open with West Moreton Health and for letting people know where you’ve been and when."
Cr Harding urged people in the Ipswich and West Moreton areas to follow social distancing and those with symptoms to get tested immediately.
“As a community, we’re tough and resilient here in Ipswich, we will get through this and we need to work together,” she said.
Originally published as Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding encourages vigilance as community deals with COVID-19 outbreak