Published on Friday, 20 March 2020 at 5:10:35 PM
Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre (ALAC) and Vancouver Arts Centre (VAC) will close to the public from today as the City of Albany continues to manage the local response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both facilities will shut their doors at the close of business until further notice, to reduce risk to public health and safety and ensure compliance with new social distancing measures announced by the Prime Minister.
The Federal Government announced today that four square metres of space per person would now be required for public gatherings of less than 100 people.
“This is a very difficult decision to make but one we feel is in the best interest of our community and staff,” Mayor Dennis Wellington said.
“We are dealing with an unprecedented situation and we regret the impact this decision will have on users of these facilities, but people’s health and safety is a priority at this time.
“The new measures announced by the Prime Minister mean it is impractical for us to be able to continue to keep these facilities open and maintain the safety of our users and staff.”
Albany Visitor Centre, National Anzac Centre, Albany Regional Day Care, Albany Airport and Fossicker’s Tip Shop will remain open for now, but staff would be managing numbers within those buildings.
Chief Executive Officer Andrew Sharpe said Albany Public Library would be closed tomorrow, Saturday, March 21 as the City reviews its service delivery in line with the new requirements, but was planning to re-open it to the public on Monday.
“We’ll be reviewing the rest of our facilities daily and continuing to make decisions based on the latest information from health authorities,” he said. “Our aim is to keep our public facilities open as long as we can, if it is safe to do so.”
The public can stay up to date on COVID-19 via the Department of Health website at www.health.gov.au or HealthyWA website at www.healthywa.wa.gov.au.
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