MARCH 11, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
Grab your partner ... It’s time to kick up your heels for the 15th annual Newport Lakes Bush Dance. The free community event will be held in the amphitheatre at the park on Sunday, March 15 from 3-6pm. Hosted by Newport Fiddle and Folk Club, the event features live music from the Newport Bush Orchestra and a dance caller teaching traditional Aussie bush dances. Newport Lakes Primary School pupils and Newport-based Strings West music school will also entertain the crowd. Club secretary Rick Sidgwick said everyone was invited to bring a picnic and enjoy the natural bush setting. “When you’re down in the middle of the park, it’s like being in the bush because you’re detached from the suburban surroundings and it’s just trees and the lakes - it’s lovely,” he said. “It’s just a really pleasant experience … it’s a family fun day.” Goya Dmytryshchak
Dave Isom and Rick Sidgwick with his grandson Jacob, 3. (Damjan Janevski) 205656_02
Panic empties shelves Panicked buyers are leaving supermarket shelves bare in Melbourne’s west as coronavirus fears spread. And a leading doctor reports that Australia is suffering from not having a co-ordinated approach among GPs. By Tuesday, the COVID-19 virus had reached more than 100 countries with about 110,000 known cases and more than 3800 confirmed deaths. The number of diagnosed cases in Australia has now topped 100, including 12 people in Victoria. Three deaths have been recorded. Panic-buying has led to nationwide shortages of household staples including toilet paper, hand sanitiser, pasta and flour and key items are
in short supply in suburbs across Melbourne’s west, despite supermarkets introducing buying limits. Laverton North’s Encore Tissue, which makes icare toilet paper, said the buying hysteria has fuelled demand but is likely to be a short-term “bubble”. “I don’t understand it, it’s just crazy,” director David Holckner said. “Our contacts overseas have informed us that similar behaviour is occurring in other countries.” He said retail contacts had reported sales had increased fourfold in products such as pasta, flour, rice and anything with a long shelf life. “Therefore the demand through the whole system is in that order of magnitude but it’s just a bubble, it’s a blip, and it will settle down after the panic buying stops,” Mr Holckner said. Yarraville-based food charity Foodbank
Australia issued a plea to people to avoid panic buying large quantities and to only purchase what they needed for up to a fortnight. “In the past few days we’ve seen images of empty shelves across the nation, yet our most vulnerable community members – pensioners, residents in retirement homes and people with disabilities – are turning up to their local shops on their weekly shopping trip, only to face bare shelves and head home empty-handed.” The Victorian Council of Social Service echoed the call, noting that people on low incomes aren’t able to panic buy and stockpile household goods. “Runs on essential items hurt people in poverty,” it said in a statement. “So please stop and think about others before you empty out the supermarket shelves.” Altona North GP Mukesh Haikerwal said
Australia was suffering from not having a co-ordinated approach to tackle the virus. “We’re the only OECD country that does not have a centre for disease control set up. All these efforts are not harmonised and we’re not leveraging everybody’s expertise and doing one thing well, once,” said the former Australian Medical Association president and World Medical Association council chair. “Everyone’s feeling disempowered. “In our area, you’ll find different practices will do things differently and I think that leads to confusion and difficulty for all. “If you’ve got to go to the practice, will you be seen at the practice, be sitting in a carpark or be sent to another practice or be sent to hospital?” he said. ■ Virus
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By Benjamin Millar and Goya Dmytryshchak
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