Highlights
- As at 6 am on 24 March 2020, there have been 1,823 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia.
- Older Australians, those with chronic medical conditions and those with compromised immune systems are considered most at risk of serious infection.
- Supermarkets have introduced a special hour of shopping for elderly Australians but have suspended online and delivery services temporarily.
Sydney-based Vaidehi Patel-Velhal has started a group of volunteers who are helping elderly residents with groceries and delivering them to their doorsteps.
“I have lived in Australia for many years now and have seen that people always come to each other’s help. I felt I could help by buying groceries for people who are unable to find essential items at supermarkets or are in isolation. So we started a group and all of us are volunteers,” Ms Patel-Velhal told SBS Hindi.
“This is a free service. We are not charging anyone nor are we accepting any favours.”
Ms Patel-Velhal and 11 other members of the Indian community in Sydney have been taking shopping orders on phone and delivering them to the doorstep of the elderly residents or those in isolation.
“There is no physical contact. We leave the groceries on the doorstep, go back to our car, call them and wait till they open the door and receive the shopping bags,” she explains.
The beneficiaries of this service are only required to pay for their groceries.
Sydney-based Vaidehi Patel-Velhal has started a group of volunteers who are helping elderly residents with groceries and delivering them to their doorsteps. Source: Getty Images/Siri Stafford
The group so far has helped families and elders in Ryde, Epping, Blacktown, Rouse Hill, Parramatta, Westmead among many other suburbs and hopes to continue this service until there is a lockdown.
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This volunteer group is delivering groceries to elderly Australians free of cost
SBS Hindi
24/03/202008:31
As of Tuesday afternoon, only people who have recently travelled from overseas or have been in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case and experienced symptoms within 14 days are advised to be tested.
Coronavirus symptoms can range from mild illness to pneumonia, according to the Federal Government's website, and can include a fever, coughing, sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath.
If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor, don’t visit, or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
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