Council Supports COVID Response As ADF Vaccine Clinic Returns This Week

IMAGE: Vaccinations take place at Cowra’s first ADF vaccine clinic last month.

Cowra Shire Council has shown an amazing response to the recent COVID-19 outbreak in Cowra, as the ADF vaccine clinic returns to town to provide more first and second doses.

Through providing critical resources to the previous ADF clinics and the drive through testing site at the Cowra Showground, as well as allowing Cowra Medical Associates to use the Civic Centre to run its own vaccine clinic, it stood up for its community when it mattered the most.

Council staff worked on managing changed traffic conditions around the Cowra Showground for the testing and vaccine clinics to allow traffic to safely enter and exit the Showground.

Council also responded positively to the Cowra Medical Associates request to transfer the practice vaccination clinic from the medical rooms to the civic centre, relieving pressure on the practice and providing an even greater focus for the community vaccination push.

Cowra Council General Manager Paul Devery said Council was well placed to assist the lead agencies in their response, whether it was traffic management, additional personnel to assist health professionals in administrative tasks, transporting supplies or providing venues to be used.

“Whilst it has been and remains a very challenging time for our community it is extremely heartening to see the way the organisations and people within them that are tasked with managing the response have worked together in such a timely, co-operative and caring manner to keep us all safe,” he said.

The ADF vaccine clinic will return to the Showground this Friday to Sunday, October 8-10, and Western NSW Local Health District CEO Scott McLachlan urged any resident who missed their second Pfizer dose, due to mandatory isolation, to attend.

“We’ve looked at this additional scheduling of the ADF clinic to assist these residents in getting their vaccination,” he said. “Residents can also book in at the Kendal Street Medical Centre. They should not be too concerned if they missed their second dose. They can get their second Pfizer dose up to six weeks after their first dose.” First doses will also be on offer for anyone aged 12 years or more.

Cowra’s current vaccination rate is 92.1% first dose and 65.6% second dose.