4.05pm. We’ll be back next week.
That’s a wrap from us for today and this week for the #ipswichtogether COVID-19 daily blog.
We’ll be celebrating the Ipswich Show Public Holiday tomorrow so our next blog will be on Monday, 18 May.
If you’re heading out this weekend to make the most of eased restrictions, don’t forget to practice social distancing and good hygiene.
3.55pm. Ipswich restaurant set to be among the first in Queensland to reopen for dining in
Rashays restaurants in Redbank and Riverlink will be among the first in Queensland to allow customers to once again dine in, as they reveal their plans to open at 12.01am on Saturday morning.
“We are all super proud to open at 12am and be one of the first dine in restaurants in Queensland,” Area Manager Laura Martin said.
“As soon as the restrictions have been lifted we will be open ready to welcome our customers back.
“All our staff are super eager to get the customers back into the restaurants.
“After we had to adapt our business to takeaway and delivery, our staff weren’t getting the same customer interaction that we did before COVID-19.
“We work in customer service; that interaction is our passion and drive.
“We strive to make the customers happy and have an enjoyable time every time they visit our restaurants.”
Ms Martin said they would be taking extra precautions to ensure their staff and customers’ safety.
“We want to make sure our customers and our team feel safe and still have a nice relaxing breakfast, lunch or dinner,” she said.
“We have trained all our staff in COVID-19 safety. We’re also using single-use disposable menus, salt and pepper sachets, straws, cups and napkins.
“Our staff will be temperature checked before every shift and will use hair nets, face masks and disposable gloves.”
Rashays restaurants will be open from 12.01am to 3am this Saturday, 16 May, and then 8am to 11pm every day. They will allow 10 customers to dine in at the restaurant at any given time. Bookings are essential. You can book online at www.rashays.com, by calling 13000 13000 or heading in store.
Rashays’ announcement comes after Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk last week released the state’s three-stage roadmap to a COVID-safe recovery.
Image: Rashays Ipswich Facebook
3pm. Anticipation builds for Front Yard Friday.
Community spirit will be on show across the city tomorrow for Front Yard Friday.
The event is part of council’s Ipswich Together initiative.
Residents are being encouraged to decorate their gardens, fences and driveways as well as order their favourite takeaway from a local business and enjoy it at home.
Radio station River 94.9 has residents covered with good tunes and will be playing Front Yard Friday requests throughout the day.
Full details here.
2.16pm. Good news, another day of zero cases for Queensland
1.15pm. Have you downloaded the COVIDSafe app yet?
The COVIDSafe app is an important part of Australia’s fight against COVID-19.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nick Coatsworth, explains how the app works and how to install it.
12.40pm. Feeling unwell? Here’s where you can get tested
Queensland Health is encouraging anyone with respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat, shortness of breath) or a fever (or history of fever) to get tested for COVID-19.
There are two clinics in the Ipswich area where you can get tested if you have made an appointment.
If you are unwell, you should contact a doctor immediately. Your doctor will decide if you need to be tested for COVID-19.
11am. Courses can help you re-skill or change career path
The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) has unveiled a suite of discounted short programs to support people looking to future-proof, re-skill or change career paths.
The new short programs (four subjects over one semester) are backed by the Federal Government’s COVID-19 Relief Package.
USQ has developed 20 undergraduate and graduate certificate programs across priority areas such as health, IT, engineering, education, and agriculture, for a fraction of the usual cost of study and HECS-HELP is available to all Australian citizens.
Read the full story here.
10.05am. Doing what it takes to get through testing times
Giggles Hair & Kitchen owner Kristy Midgley has been operating in Ipswich for more than 12 years but she has never seen a year like this one.
“Emotionally it’s been a big roller coaster ride,” she said.
“My biggest worry was that I wanted to be able to keep the staff on and I’ve been able to keep them all.”
The salon is open and they are following the Queensland Health regulations closely with every second chair being used, extra cleaning, hand sanitiser and areas taped out on the ground.
Just before the pandemic health crisis hit, Ms Midgley walked into her Brisbane Street salon to discover one of her own.
“There was a burst water main overnight at the basin so the floor and everything was ruined,” she said.
“So we found another salon to temporarily operate from until our salon was renovated.
“That was two weeks before COVID-19.”
Giggles Hair & Kitchen is currently at 92-98 Pine Mountain Road and is open Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
9.10am. Largest firework in Ipswich’s history to be launched on Friday
The night sky above Ipswich will be lit up in a spectacular array of colours when the largest fireworks shell to be launched in the city’s history takes flight this Friday.
The Ipswich Show Society has planned a special aerial fireworks display for 7.30pm sharp on 15 May to celebrate what would have been the 147th annual Ipswich Show.
It will follow a short ceremony from 7.15pm during which show society president David Thomas and Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding will speak.
The ceremony and fireworks display will be live-streamed on the Ipswich Show Facebook page.
Read the full story here.
8am. Tuesday 12 May 2020. One new case in Queensland
West Moreton has zero active cases of COVID-19.
There are 37 recovered cases in the region with no new ones since the start of April.
One new active case was reported in Queensland yesterday bringing the state total to 1052.
This case is a Queensland resident who was diagnosed and treated in another state. They have now recovered.
This case has been included in Queensland’s total in accordance with national guidelines that require confirmed cases to be reported and recorded based on the person’s state of residence, not where they were tested for COVID-19 or where they were infected.
Of those only 18 cases remain active with 1028 recovered and six deaths in total.
Currently, 998 of the 1,052 confirmed cases had recently travelled overseas or interstate, or had close contact with a confirmed case, such as their partner or flatmate.
A total of 142,040 tests for COVID-19 have been undertaken in Queensland, with 3,264 tests undertaken in the previous 24 hours.
Some restrictions will begin to be lifted in Queensland from Saturday 16 May, allowing more travel, more activities and larger gatherings.
Further restrictions are planned to be lifted in June and July, however we need everyone to continue playing their part to protect themselves and the more vulnerable in our community.
Most Queenslanders who have contracted COVID-19 have experienced mild symptoms.
Contact tracing continues for recent cases.
