City to close facilities during snap lockdown

THE City of Greater Geelong will close several of its facilities affected by the snap seven-day lockdown as of 11.59pm tonight (Thursday, May 27).

City facilities closing include all indoor and outdoor aquatic, recreation and leisure facilities, customer service centres, Belmont Market, City offices, The Carousel, The Potato Shed, National Wool Museum, The fOrT, public halls, community hubs and libraries.

Office-based city employees will also work from home.

No new bookings will be accepted at the Breamlea Holiday Park except for authorised reasons.

In accordance with the Victorian Government directions, childcare centres will remain open to assist parents to continue to work at home or in essential services outside the home.

Public outdoor playgrounds will also remain open.

The seven-day ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown is aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and minimising impacts on the community.

Geelong mayor Stephanie Asher urged the Greater Geelong community to look out for each other.

“This news will be extremely difficult and disappointing for business owners and the entire community, especially after such an incredible effort in defeating previous waves of COVID, and just as local businesses have started their recovery,” Cr Asher said.

“It will be a challenging seven days for everyone in Greater Geelong, but our community is strong, and we’ve proven before we can get through this.

“Over the next seven days we all have an important role to play in helping to stop the spread by adhering to the restrictions, wearing masks and getting vaccinated if eligible. By doing this we can help keep this lockdown as short as possible.

“We also strongly encourage everyone to continue supporting local hospitality businesses by buying takeaway.

“I’m sure community members will be feeling a range of emotions; for those experiencing mental stress and anxiety there is support available – please reach out and seek help.

“And while we love having visitors and look forward to welcoming people back after the lockdown, for now we urge everyone to do the right thing by remaining at home and especially to refrain from fleeing to holiday homes in our region.”

The Victorian Government has stated the lockdown will remain in place until Friday, June 4.

The City’s customer service team can still contacted during business hours by phoning 03 5272 5272 or emailing [email protected].

For information about support available and how the city is responding to the evolving coronavirus situation, head to the City of Greater Geelong’s website.