Cowra Urged To get Vaccinated

IMAGE: Cowra Mayor, Bill West, is encouraging the com-munity to keep up vaccination rates.

Cowra Shire Council is encouraging all eligible residents in Cowra to get vaccinated against COVID-19, after regional NSW was put into lockdown over the weekend.

The lockdown came after an outbreak of cases in Dubbo, as well as cases in Walgett and the nearby ACT. Further cases have since been reported in Mudgee and Bourke, and exposure sites have been reported in Orange and Bathurst.

Cowra Shire Council has set the example for the shire, with all councillors and senior management having now received their first Covid-19 vaccination, with a number also receiving their second and the remainder booked to have their second imminently.

Council is now encouraging the community to follow suit.

“With the changing fortunes occurring across NSW, Council recognises how fortunate to date we have been in the Cowra Shire. But we are very conscious of the situation around us and must not be complacent,” Cr West said.

“By vaccinating, you are protecting yourself and others from severe COVID-19. It is also likely that once a large proportion of the population is vaccinated, the spread of COVID-19 in our community will decrease,” he said. Both the Cowra Medical Associates and the Medispring Family Medical Centre are offering COVID-19 vaccinations. Anyone aged 18 or over is now eligible for the Astra Zeneca vaccine, while anyone aged 40 and over, or 18 and over and working in a high risk category, is eligible for the Pfizer vaccine.

Cr West acknowledged the tremendous efforts of Cowra’s health professionals in the efficient roll out the Shire’s vaccination program, and said he understood Cowra’s vaccination uptake was very pleasing.

“Council encourages the local community to continue to engage in local vaccine programs, follow the NSW Public Health Orders and the directions of NSW Police, so that we can all get back to some degree of normalcy,” Cr West said.

“Council will continue to closely follow the advice and directives provided by the NSW Government and health experts and play our part to help stop the spread of the highly contagious COVID-19 Delta variant.”

“These are difficult and uncertain times, but we are in this together and the community is encouraging to continue to support each other.”

At the time of writing, there had been 98 confirmed cases in the Western Region Local Health District, and 57 confirmed exposure sites.