City of Newcastle Council has distributed thousands of face masks, hand sanitiser, face shields and disinfectant wipes to dozens of community organisations as part of Council’s efforts to support the community through COVID-19.
Lord Mayor, Nuatali Nelmes (pictured, left) said the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and hygiene products ensured that frontline community organisations were able to safely support local residents.
“City of Newcastle has provided protective equipment to dozens of local organisations such as multicultural services providers, Aboriginal services, child and family services, youth services, homelessness services and community centres, who are on the frontline during the pandemic,” Lord Mayor Nelmes said.
“In the past two weeks, City of Newcastle has distributed more than 60,000 face masks, along with supplies of hand sanitiser, disinfectant wipes, face shields and medical gowns.
“By providing access to the much-needed equipment and hygiene products, we can help ensure our most vulnerable community members are protected and that essential community services can continue to operate as safely as possible.”
The bulk PPE is being made available through a partnership between Resilience NSW and Healthshare, who provide the items to local Councils across NSW to ensure community organisations are best equipped to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Regional Clinical Director for Awabakal Medical Service, Toni Carson said access to PPE was crucial for local services to continue to operate, while minimising the spread of COVID-19.
“We’re grateful to have the support of City of Newcastle and have access to PPE supplies, which we’ve distributed to Aboriginal medical clinics across the city. The supplies are essential to ensure that our community maintains safe and has reliable access to medical services during this challenging time,” Ms Carson said.
Earlier this week, City of Newcastle announced the expansion of its Community and Economic Resilience Package, which will see at least $10 million invested into the local economy.
