Wagga mayor Greg Conkey has reassured residents in the wake of the coronavirus threat that the Oasis pool, civic theatre, and sporting grounds will remain open for the time being, but warned the situation could change at any minute.
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Councillor Conkey said the future was uncertain, with much of the decision-making being taken out of council's hands entirely.
"There's a lot of events that are coming up which will be impacted by this decision, and bearing in mind it's the state and federal governments that are running the show not Wagga City Council," Cr Conkey said.
"We are complying with all their requests and it is having a significant impact on us unfortunately."
He said the cancellation of events such as Anzac Day and the Food and Wine Festival would cost Wagga "many millions of dollars", but iterated that these were necessary measures.
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Cr Conkey said there was currently no need to shut the civic theatre because it had a capacity of 490 people, and the Oasis Aquatic Centre could remain open based on advice that chlorine would curb the spread of coronavirus.
However, he said council would have to "keep an eye on" both of these cases, saying the situation was changing hour by hour.
Cr Conkey said he encouraged residents to continue going about their lives and keeping Wagga's economy chugging along.
"Otherwise it's business as usual; the supermarkets and shops are open, the coffee shops and restaurants are all open," Cr Conkey said.
"We encourage people to go and use those facilities. We do not want the city to close down, but to be mindful we encourage everyone to wash their hands at every opportunity."
Those suffering acute, cold, flu-like symptoms who have recently returned from travelling or are a contact of a confirmed case are urged to be tested for the virus. To do this, call HealthDirect on 1800 0222 222 to be triaged and advised by a nurse over the phone. Alternatively, contact your GP to book an appointment and let them know in advance if you have symptoms - these might include fever, cough, runny nose or shortness of breath.