NSW Covid: Tharawal Aboriginal Medical Services issues 200 vaccinations to teens

Indigenous teens across southwest Sydney have showed up to get jabbed because they want to protect their community as NSW Covid-19 numbers reach record highs.

Hundreds of indigenous Macarthur teenagers have received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccination, as cases of Covid-19 in NSW reach record highs.

An outdoor vaccination clinic is set up at Tharawal Aboriginal Medical Service, in Airds, on Thursday after the clinic was given 240 Pfizer vaccines.

Registered Nurse Joanne Ross said the clinic waited to receive the vaccines on Tuesday before alerting patients at the clinic.

Jarryd, 13, and Alison Brown, 15, preparing to get their Pfizer vaccination. Picture: Lauren Ferri

Patients waiting to get their Pfizer vaccinations. Picture: Lauren Ferri

“We sent out the alert 4pm Tuesday and by 5pm we had 100 bookings, then on Wednesday we followed up with the remainder of the bookings,” Ms Ross told the Macarthur Chronicle.

The outdoor clinic was set up with four stations, as GPs and nurses administered the jabs to teenagers.

“They wait in the open area, get the vaccine in the tent and then go out to the grass area where they wait their 15 minutes with a sausage sizzle,” Ms Ross said.

The clinic has been vaccinating with AstraZeneca since March and signed up for Pfizer in July.

Alison Brown, 15, receiving her Pfizer vaccination. Picture: Lauren Ferri

However, due to the ongoing situation across NSW, Ms Ross said the AMS asked for additional doses for teenagers.

“We’re six weeks into our Pfizer vaccines and we’re getting completely inundated with members of the community, but we encourage everybody over 18 to consider AstraZeneca as it’s readily available,” Ms Ross said.

Alison Brown, 15, and her brother Jarryd, 13, were among the teenagers keen to get the jab on Thursday, both now feeling “relieved”.

Jarryd said: “I feel like a lot of stress has come off and I’m OK with it.”

Monique Garlalane, pictured with her mother, is just 13 and said she things being vaccinated is “a good idea”. Picture: Lauren Ferri

“I wanted to get the vaccine to protect myself, my family and other people,” Alison said.

Monique Garlalane is just 13 and said she things being vaccinated is “a good idea”.

“The world we live in is getting harder and I think this is the only option at the moment,” the teenager said.

“I feel like I’m doing my part and it’s a good thing, so I’m pretty happy.”

Georgia Brown and a friend after getting vaccinated. Picture: Lauren Ferri

Tharawal TikTok duo Tristan and Mary took to TikTok on Thursday talking to some of the teenagers about the importance of being vaccinated.

Georgia Brown said she was motivated to get the vaccine because she wants to play sport again.

“I want to stop the spread of Covid-19 and I want to get back to sport, and keep my elders safe,” she said.

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Up to 160 Pfizer doses were issued on Thursday to indigenous teenagers, the same day NSW recorded its new high of 681 cases.

The vax push across the state is ramping up on Tuesday with 500,000 Pfizer doses in the community.

Anyone ages 16 to 39 living in Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Penrith and Strathfield is being urged to get a vaccination.

An outdoor vaccination clinic is set up at Tharawal Aboriginal Medical Service, in Airds, on Thursday after the clinic was given 240 Pfizer vaccines. Picture: Lauren Ferri

Red Frog Recycling Gregory Hills lost $300k, Return and Earn stopped

A small business dedicated to the state government’s Return and Earn scheme has lost a crippling $300,000 during NSW’s second wave of the pandemic.

All 360 Return and Earn vending machines, depots and over-the-counter sites have been closed across Greater Sydney and surrounds due to the Covid-19 lockdown, except for one southwest Sydney business.

Millions of bottles and cans are now stockpiling in people’s garages or are being left in bags strewn about the house, while businesses like Gregory Hills’ Red Frog Recycling are suffering.

During the first lockdown, Return and Earn vending machines were operating at half capacity to ensure social distancing, but Greater Sydney’s most recent outbreak of the Delta strain forced them to close on July 20.

Red Frog Recycling is the biggest indoor depot in the state, with managing director Anthony Morrissey losing 92 per cent of his revenue since the closure began four weeks ago.

Red Frog Recycling is the biggest indoor depot in the state, with managing director Anthony Morrissey losing 92 per cent of his revenue since the closure began four weeks ago.

Mr Morrissey’s business has its own Return and Earn collection point and services schools, sporting clubs and homes in the Macarthur region with up to 1.1 million bottles and cans processed each week.

The business owner said he was contacted by TOMRA Cleanaway, who operates the scheme alongside the Environment and Protection Authority (EPA), telling Mr Morrissey he would have to close his business due to the new Public Health Orders imposed in July.

“I received an email (on July 20) at 11.37pm advising me we had to shut down by 11.59pm … we were given 22 minutes notice,” he told the Macarthur Chronicle.

“We didn’t shut down in the last lockdown at all, but we were told to stop collection rubbish for vulnerable people around the community immediately.”

All 360 Return and Earn vending machines, depots and over-the-counter sites have been closed across Greater Sydney and surrounds.

Despite being told the amendment of the Public Health Orders meant he could not be open, Mr Morrissey decided not to shut down, as the waste industry is still deemed essential. He is now operating at a drastically reduced capacity and can only recycle material that is brought to his depot – costing the business money.

All collections from surrounding communities have been halted to ensure Macarthur locals can still get their rubbish collected

“If they want to shut down Return and Earn they have to shut down the entire waste industry … EPA is classing Return and Earn as critical,” he said.

Mr Morrissey said he felt like the EPA was doing everything they could to shut him down, but he remained the only open Return and Earn point between Newcastle, the Shoalhaven and Blue Mountains.

“For two days straight I made sure I was contractually fine to open, and we reopened again,” he said.

“We’re a government-run service, but the government is shutting us down,” he said.

Mr Morrissey said it was a major issue the government has closed all Return and Earn stations, as there are up to 30-35 million containers of recycling “festering” in people’s homes each week.

After being closed for four weeks, he said there could be up to 120 million containers of rubbish waiting to be collected.

Millions of bottles and cans are now stockpiling in people’s garages or are being left in bags strewn about the house.

Not only is the waste beginning to grow in homes, but overall waste has grown up to 20 per cent during the pandemic, as people are using disposable masks and other medical trash, Mr Morrissey said.

“Return and Earn gives the little people purpose, and I’m disappointed that the scheme will lose so much engagement,” he said.

“I’ve seen the scheme build playgrounds, I’ve raised millions with it, I’ve seen how good it is and that is why I do it.”

An EPA spokesman confirmed the vending machines were closed this year in line with the “latest Public Health Orders”.

“The health and wellbeing of Return and Earn participants, our staff and our return point operators are our primary focus in these difficult times which limit the reasons for people leaving their homes,” the spokesman told the Macarthur Chronicle.

“We are closely monitoring the latest updates and advice from the NSW Government in relation to COVID-19 and will follow government recommendations to ensure the safest environment possible.”

“Returning materials to a collection point for recycling is not considered an essential reason for leaving home. We encourage all Return and Earn participants in Greater Sydney to hold on to their eligible containers until restrictions ease and we can welcome them back.”