In New South Wales it's the first COVID-19-related death outside of Sydney. A 67-year-old patient at Orange Base Hospital died on Wednesday.
Highlights:
- In NSW, it is first COVID-19 death outside of Sydney.
- Nationally, 23 people have died due to Coronavirus.
The President of the Association of Indians in Orange (Desis in Orange) Vijay Vohra says everyone is scared.
“The market is pretty quiet. People still go out for groceries, etc., but everyone is scared. People are trying to stay away from the crowded place. Trying to stay at home or the workplace maintaining social distancing,” Mr Vohra told SBS Hindi.
Mr Vohra says there is no shortage of supply of essential things.
Mount Canobolas in Orange Source: by Orange City Council
“There is no shortage of food or any other amenities. All the basic things are available in the supermarkets. Coles, Woollies and Aldi are functioning normally."
The only Indian grocery store of the town is ‘working hard’ to maintain the supply of Indian groceries for the community.
“The Indian grocery store is open and making sure all the essential things are available. I don’t know how they are managing that, but they are making things available without increasing the price. Everyone is helping each other,” says Mr Vohra adding that small businesses are taking the hit.
“Take-aways are available, but people are more likely to cook at home. So, the business has gone down. The restaurant business has gone down significantly. All the businesses are hitting the ground now,” explains Mr Vohra, who owns several restaurants in the city.
One section of society struggling are those who are on a regional sponsorship visa.
Mr Vohra says they are struggling because employers don’t have any obligations so they can sack them or send them home for there is no work available.
“And, they don’t get any Centrelink benefits too, so they are badly hit. An overalls sense of uncertainty is there.”
Orange has eight confirmed cases of Coronavirus.
Nationally, 23 people have died due to Coronavirus. With 239 news cases in the last 24 hours, a total number of positive coronavirus cases have crossed 5000. NSW has the most number (2298) of cases with nine deaths.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others and gatherings are limited to two people unless you are with your family or household.
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.
SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at
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