WESTERN District Health Service (WDHS) and the Southern Grampians Shire are encouraging the community to enjoy the holiday period in a COVID-safe manner.

With the holidays traditionally a time where many catch up with family and friends, WDHS chief executive, Rohan Fitzgerald said the community needed to be mindful of the ongoing risks around COVID-19.

“We recognise that coming into the festive season, it’s a time for celebration but we need to be cautious about coming into close contact with large numbers of people,” he said.

“Over the course of the last nine months, as we’ve battled against COVID-19, people have taken the challenge very seriously and done the right thing in response to the pandemic.

“We need to continue to practice those protective measures that we have been talking about for the last few months. In particular – good hand hygiene, maintaining social distance, wearing a face mask when you can’t social distance and ensuring that you get tested if you have symptoms.”

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