For people living in metropolitan Melbourne, Stage 4 restrictions now apply:

• Stay within 5km from home for shopping and exercise. Use this map to find out the 5-km radius for your home.
• A curfew in metropolitan Melbourne from 8pm to 5am every evening, with people only allowed to leave their house for work and essential health, care or safety reasons.
• Everyone must wear a mask when they leave home, unless an exception applies. 
• Restrictions apply to which workplaces may operate. See the business and industry restrictions page for more details.
• Study at TAFE, University, Primary and Secondary Schools must be done remotely.
• Public Transport Information: visit the Public Transport Victoria translated resources site. 

Make sure that you get your information from the Government (DHHS) or other credible sources to stop misinformation:

DHHS COVID-19 Website

DHHS COVID-19 Website with information in 40 community languages

Coronavirus hotline: If you are concerned, call the coronavirus hotline 1800 675 398 (24 Hours).
Interpreting service: If you need an interpreter, call TIS National on 131 450.
Triple Zero: Please keep Triple Zero (000) for emergencies only.

Testing at home - Reaching out to vulnerable Victorians

The Call-to-Test service will enable some of our most vulnerable to get tested for coronavirus (COVID-19) at home with a qualified health clinician. The service will provide access for people who cannot leave home due to injury, mobility or other eligible reasons.

Call the coronavirus (COVID-19) hotline on 1800 675 398  and select option 9 to find out if you are eligible for this service.

Re-useable face masks for vulnerable Victorians from DHHS

This DHHS initiative targets agencies that deliver services to Victorians who are vulnerable and are unable to afford or source their own masks.

Eligible organisations include Local governments and funded services for community health, disability, home and community care, mental health, residential care and others.

Community pharmacies and General Practitioners (GPs) can also choose to deliver masks to their vulnerable patients.

Orders from individual people are not accepted in this system but those who believe that they meet the criteria for a mask are encouraged to talk to their support or case worker. 

For those who are not eligible there is information about creating your own face coverings or purchasing locally on Council's website here.

The Extreme Hardship Support Program can provide financial assistance, information and referrals to people living in Victoria who are experiencing hardship as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and who are unable to access other forms of Victorian Government and Commonwealth Government income support.

The program may support temporary and provisional visa holders and undocumented migrants with little or no income, savings or community support.
The web page below is also in Chinese (Simplified), Farsi, Malay, Nepali, Spanish, Tamil, Urdu and Vietnamese.

Use NDIS funding to purchase face masks and other PPE

Some criteria applies including:

• you must receive an average of at least one hour a day of face-to-face daily living supports, and
• you live in Victoria or NSW.

The NDIS will update information on their webpage as the situation in Victoria evolves.

Support for Moreland residents is now available over the phone

This new program is open to all residents impacted by the pandemic, with a particular focus on more vulnerable residents: Call 8311 4140 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm or email Casi@moreland.vic.gov.au

Access COVID-support with:

• Food and material aid, including masks for vulnerable residents.
• Emotional support such as regular chats.
• Practical help such as running errands or helping people to video chat with friends and family.
• Connecting you with community support in your local area

You can also call the coronavirus (COVID-19) hotline on 1800 675 398 and press 3 to speak to an Australian Red Cross Volunteer if you require urgent response.

Public facilities are closed during stage 4 but online or phone services still apply:

• Customer Service Centres are temporarily closed but still available to provide information and services over the phone: Call our friendly Customer Service Team on 9240 1111.
• View our online services, including bins and collections, new pet registrations, planning enquiries and more. Access urban planning advice via phone 9240 1111 or view advertised plans online.
• Libraries are closed until further notice. Items have been renewed and library fines are suspended during the closure. All library programs, events and room bookings have been cancelled but online events continue
• Maternal and Child Health centres are open and continue to provide telehealth and short face-to-face consultations for 0 to 8-week old babies and priority groups as well as telehealth consultations for 4 month to 3.5 year olds. For further information, call our Maternal and Child Health team on 9240 1111 and select option 2.
• Our Council-run immunisation services are still running and appointments must be made before you can attend. All sessions are at Coburg Town Hall, 90 Bell St, Coburg with plenty of parking on Urquhart Street. Please call us on 9240 1111 or email sd-immunisation@moreland.vic.gov.au for any queries.

Be Kind Moreland: Where to get help and support

If you are experiencing hardship or doing it tough as a result of the pandemic Be Kind Moreland provides details for services that may be able to help. To find information about a particular service please use the menu below:

• Food relief services
• Government payments and support
• Rent relief and housing support
• Assistance with energy bills
   
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support
• Disability support and information
• International Student support
• Refugee and Asylum Seeker support
• Support for Young People
• Useful services for Older People
   
• Family violence
• Gambler's help remote support services
• Legal assistance
• Family support
• Mental health and Wellbeing

Support for businesses during Stage 4 Restrictions

Moreland's Economic Development team recommends to continue shopping locally online and to support each other.

Many local businesses are improving online delivery options. Find out updates for local businesses in your area: 

• Central Coburg Business Association
• Sydney Road Brunswick Association

New translated resources for Tax Time 2020   

New translated resources for Tax Time 2020    This year the ATO has translated some new resources for Tax Time to assist people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds with their tax returns with information on:

• How to get ready to do your tax return checklist
• Help for your first tax time
• Important information for your 2019-20 tax return, and
• Newsletter articles for you to share with your community

Virtual Y FREE online wellbeing program

Virtual Y is provided by the YMCA and offers free access to exclusive fitness videos, nutritious recipes, wellbeing advice, family activities and the Y's Youth Hub.

Live Life Get Active offers free online programs 

Live Life Get Active is a registered Australian health promotion charity that offers FREE outdoor activity camps, online exercise and wellness programs to help address obesity, diabetes and mental health.

• FREE Online Workout at Home videos or daily life streams 
• FREE Online wellness and nutrition resources

COVID-Information for families and carers of school aged NDIS participants

CYDA has released an information pack to help families and carers manage plans, supports and education arrangements during coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions in Victoria.

A new resource for families: Learning at home during a time of crisis COVID-19 (Coronavirus): by the Australian Coalition for Inclusive Education (ACIE) that CYDA is a member of, provides useful tips to assist children and young people with disability and their families to organise and plan for learning at home.

2020 local council election

Local council elections will be held in Victoria by post in October 2020. Voters in each council will receive a ballot pack in early October. 

To vote, you must be correctly enrolled before 4 pm on Friday 28 August 2020.

You can apply to enrol if you:

• are not an Australian citizen, but you live and pay rates in a council
  or
• pay rates on a property you occupy and have no other entitlement to vote in the council
  or
• are a director or company secretary of a corporation that pays rates and have no other entitlement to vote in the council
  or
• are a ratepayer, you were not on the council roll at the 2016 council election and you are not on the State roll for that council area.

I'm Still Learning

When Mandy lost her husband to cancer she realised two things: firstly how much home maintenance he did and secondly how much she didn't know about home and car maintenance.  This inspired her to create the I'm Still Learning program and she is passionate about ensuring the courses are accessible to those who will most benefit from learning basic skills.

Upcoming online classes include:

• Cooking with Pete, 12 August 5 pm
• How to Zoom, 13 August 7.30 pm 

1800RESPECT continues to operate as normal.

Support is available for those impacted by sexual, domestic and family violence.  Qualified phone counsellors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for phone or online chat. 

The caller’s safety is a priority and counsellors are very experienced in how to sensitively handle contacts from those who are in the same house as the person using violence.

Phone 1800 737 732
Online Chat

In an emergency or if someone is in immediate danger, please call 000.