In a Mercury tribute to the mums, dads, brothers and sisters defying adversity, medical professionals, teachers, police officers, firefighters, SES workers, nurses, council workers, local business owners, tradies, midwives, and newsagents share their stories at the coalface of the coronavirus crisis.

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JILEESA JAMES, HOTLINE CO-ORDINATOR

For those seeking information about coronavirus, Jileesa James has been one of the first ports of call. As an administration officer with Public Health Services, she’s one of many manning the Public Health Hotline.

Ms James said most calls to the hotline were general inquiries, with some concerned they may have contracted the virus.

Part of her role is to ask the right questions and put the caller through to the right people.

“We have to really listen to what everybody has to say, making sure we really capture those details,” she said.

Ms James said her team had expanded to cope with a large increase in calls. “At one point we were told we had about 1500 calls coming,” she said.

She said on an average day before the pandemic, they’d receive about 50 calls. “You need to try and get through the calls as quickly as possible but you can’t rush it.” She said despite the extra pressure everyone had been supportive

EMILY PRESSNELL, SES

As a volunteer with the SES Southern General Response Unit, Emily Pressnell has been helping to conduct compliance checks on those in quarantine.

While it was a little bit different to getting called out to floods or storms, Ms Pressnell said it wasn’t a challenge checking in on people’s well being.

“It’s not challenging, it’s the bread and butter of what we do,” she said.

“Generally people are quite happy to have somebody check on them. We see lots of friendly faces waving from front window.

“While it’s a compliance check, it’s nice to check in and say g’day and see how they’re coping.”

She said for the people she’s seeing day-to-day in quarantine, her biggest message was to stay inside.

“It’s not fun, but you’re not alone,” she said.

“It’s a really good thing to do for the sake of the wider community, and we really appreciate it.”

Ms Pressnell said they were still also responding to regular call outs.

“The world doesn’t stop turning,” she said.

On Friday, she said they responded to a number of calls due to flooding across the state.

SARAH JARVIS, TEACHER

Margate Primary School teachers have collaborated to create Home Learning Packs, with some special chocolate goods added to the mix.

The packs will be delivered fortnightly online and in hard copy upon request.

Kindergarten teachers Sarah Jarvis and Claire Grave said they were “absolutely” missing their students during the coronavirus period.

Mrs Jarvis said the packs contained open-ended learning experiences linked to literacy, numeracy, inquiry, hands-on learning, fitness, social and emotional learning.

She said it was “so beautiful” to deliver the packs to students’ homes and see them waving back at her through their windows.

The packs at margateprimary.education.tas.edu.au can be accessed by families nationwide.

SCOTT MARRIOTT, TAROONA FIRE BRIGADE VOLUNTEER

Scott Marriott has a lot on his plate. As a volunteer with the Taroona Fire Brigade, a teacher at Hutchins, and a father, the coronavirus pandemic has changed much in his day-to-day life.

As part of his role as volunteer firefighter, Mr Marriott has been helping Tasmania Police conduct compliance checks on those in quarantine.

“We’ve spent the morning calling people, checking in that they are on the premises and that they’re isolating,” he said.

“Most people in the community are taking this seriously. People were saying they were actually pleased they were being checked up on.”

He said it was challenging trying to juggle all of his roles – especially with schools now running online.

“The kids at school have been fantastic.”

LUKE KLINE, CITY OF HOBART COUNCIL WORKER

While most people are still sleeping, workers from the Hobart City Council are working to keep our streets clean.

Luke Kline of the council’s cleansing unit said with most people off Hobart’s streets, it’s been a good time to give everything a deep clean.

“Basically what we do is we’ve got the high-pressure unit and we use hospital-grade disinfectant on everything people touch,” he said.

The unit cleans everything, including handrails, tables and seats, and play equipment.

Mr Kline said the sanitising was partially due to the coronavirus pandemic, but it was also something the council usually did to ensure the city was kept in great condition.

“When this happened and there’s been no one in city, it’s a good time to get on top of things,” he said.

“We’re doing the best we can to keep the city clean and sanitised.”

PRABESH BASNET, TAXI DRIVER

It’s been a difficult few weeks for taxi drivers such as Prabesh Basnet.

With tourists discouraged from entering the state, minimal airport arrivals and the community urged to stay in their homes, Mr Basnet said it had been a tough time for taxi drivers to find work.

However 13 CABS, Mr Basnet’s employer, has rolled out an extensive sanitation program across the country for those using the service.

All touch points in and around their cabs, such as door handles, seat belts, window controls and payment equipment are being sanitised.

Mr Basnet hoped with so much support being raised for the state’s businesses, that the community might consider supporting the state’s drivers by hopping in a cab every now and then.

NIKKI LANE, CLINICAL NURSE CONSULTANT

If you test positive for coronavirus, you could end up chatting with clinical nurse consultant Nikki Lane.

In her role, Ms Lane notifies people of their positive tests, helps them come to terms with the news, and interviews them about where they’ve been.

She said it’s a little bit like being a detective.

“We really are at the forefront here,” she said.

“It’s a pretty in-depth interview. You often have to jog people’s memories.”

The key information they look for is places a person has visited and people they’ve come into contact with.

Ms Lane said they were working hard to ensure they did their bit to keep Tasmanians safe. However, she said we won’t overcome this unless people do the right thing.

DAVID SHEAD, TASMANIA POLICE ACTING SERGEANT

For Tasmania Police, keeping the community safe is the top priority. Acting Sergeant David Shead said his role was to maintain road safety, public order, and assist in the co-ordination of people arriving into the Hobart International Airport.

“It’s a confronting situation for police, emergency services and the public. It’s certainly a circumstance we haven’t been confronted with previously,” he said.

“As a supervisor at present, I have the challenge of reassuring the people I work with, and ensuring the safety of the community.”

He said due to changes in flights, some members have been putting in extra hours.

Acting Sergeant Shead urged people to be patient. “It’s a new situation for us and we’re doing the best we can.”

ANNA THORBURN, STORE OWNER

BULK organic and wholefoods store Unpacked has been doing its part to keep people well fed during the coronavirus crisis.

With major supermarkets cutting their delivery and pick-up services to the general public, the Kingston business began packing orders for collection or home delivery.

Owner Anna Thorburn said the changes were introduced as only a limited number of people were allowed instore at a time.

“This whole thing is to help keep local businesses going,” she said. “We’re all in this together and if we don’t support each other what do we have left?”

Ms Thorburn said she wanted to make eating healthily as “easy as possible” for customers in light of strict self-isolation and social distancing requirements.

SUE WUTKE, BARKERS BOARDING KENNELS OWNER

Barkers Boarding Kennels owner Sue Wutke has offered free and discounted pet boarding for animal owners working overtime or stuck in an emergency as COVID-19 escalates.

“For disadvantaged people, if they can’t pay, that’s also not a problem,” she said.

“If somebody is in need, as long as the animal is vaccinated, I’m not going to refuse any boarding.”

Ms Wutke said she was thinking “outside the box” of ways to provide support and keep her Sidmouth business open.

“It’s been mentally positive for me to step out there and provide something else for the community,” she said.

She said “amazing” frontline workers deserved more support and encouragement from the community, while elderly people needed reassurance their beloved pets would be looked after.

DR JOHN KRUIMINK, GP

The healthcare spotlight has been on our state’s hospitals and major facilities, but Tasmanian general practitioners have been continuing important care for patients with non-coronavirus related ailments.

General Practice Plus co-owner Dr John Kruimink told the Mercury earlier this week it was important to have “safe spaces” where people could continue to talk to a doctor about everyday problems or ongoing treatment plans.

“We think it’s very important that people engage more with their doctor at the moment, not less,” he said.

Dr Kruimink said there was a “range of problems” people were no longer seeing their GP about, concerning him and his colleagues. “Putting off some … seemingly minor issues can lead to bigger problems down the track.”

IMOGEN ANNING, MIDWIFE

A Hobart Private midwife who has delivered more than 100 babies is just one of hundreds across the state helping to bring new life into the world during this challenging time.

Imogen Anning has been a midwife for nine years and recently returned to work from maternity leave.

“In my career, I’ve never experienced anything on this scale,” she told the Mercury.

She said coronavirus had forced her to undertake phone-based consultations to keep traffic through the hospital doors to a minimum.

New rules also mean only the mother and one support person were allowed at the hospital during births and hospital stays.

Ms Anning said she and other frontline staff were at risk of contracting coronavirus every time they went to work.

PROFESSOR DALE FISHER, SENIOR CONSULTANT AND HEAD OF DIVISION INFECTIOUS DISEASES AT THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

Tasmanians at the coalface of the coronavirus crisis are not just taking up the fight here.

When Professor Dale Fisher was a Hutchins schoolboy in 1976 he won a prestigious scholarship to study in Singapore. He had no idea that 44 years later he would be back there playing a key role in saving the lives of Singaporeans.

He is now one of the world’s leading experts on the COVID-19 outbreak advising the World Health Organisation and working as a senior consultant in infectious diseases at Singapore’s National University Hospital.

“By remarkable coincidence I went (to Singapore) in March 2003 which was the same time as the SARS outbreak,” he said.

In February he travelled to China to see the COVID-19 outbreak at ground zero.

PAUL BARBER, TRADIE

Trades people help build things, keep the lights on, the pipes clear, the grass mowed and can do those jobs around the house you keep putting off or don’t have time for.

Paul Barber is one of those tradies, but revealed the coronavirus had put pressure on his business as he tried to make ends meet.

“I have no other choice to keep surviving,” he said.

The sole trader told the Mercury last week work had all but come to a standstill, fearing another fortnight of COVID-19 fears would put his business in dire straits.

“I’ll be broke and I won’t be able to afford to keep going,” he said. “But you’ve got to be positive I suppose and just hope for the best.”

If you need some help around home, show a local tradie your support.

JANE DAVIES, HOWRAH NEWS AND POSTAL

Getting your hands on a print edition of the Mercury has been an important pastime for members of the Tasmanian community and in a time where people are craving important public health information, newsagents have been run off their feet.

Pam Fehlberg and her team at Howrah News and Postal have seen sales increase dramatically.

Ms Fehlberg said newsagencies, declared an essential service by the Government, were crucial to keeping the community informed in the face of the coronavirus crisis.

Mall Newsagency owner David Mills has faced a darker reality, with sales down by nearly 70 per cent – the hardest hit in the shop’s 26-year history.

He said he missed the cheerful customer “buzz”, describing the mall as a “ghost town”.

“Everybody’s doing it tough,” he said.

“People still working in the city can support the businesses that are open.”

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