As of last Friday, the village has cancelled volunteer services as well as recreational activities that require the use of outside visitors.
They have also applied a visitor policy and encouraged the use of apps such as Skype and Facetime to replace face-to-face contact.
Warramunda Village chief executive Sandi Websdale said while the precautionary measures would make it tough for its residents for the foreseeable future, they were necessary to ensure their safety.
“As people arrive we are asking them a series of questions and checking their temperature to make sure that if they’re coming into the home they have regularly washed their hands and haven’t been in contact with anyone that is unwell,” she said.
“We’ve asked our lovely volunteers to stay away for the time being and cancelled things like hairdressing and pool services and a lot of the community activities we love.
“And while we love our community connections, right now that is not what we need. Right now, what we need is to do everything we can to look after our residents and reduce the risk of them coming into contact with someone who may have been in contact with COVID-19.”
COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, is considered a high-risk to the elderly as well as those with underlying medical conditions.
To further minimise the risk to their community, Warramunda staff and residents have started keeping in contact by using iPads and other devices.
“Everybody wants to keep in contact with their friends who live here and we think using technology is the best option for the short term ahead,” Ms Websdale said.
“The new norm is social distancing and that’s basically what we’re putting in place as well.”
Ms Websdale said that while no-one had displayed the common symptoms, staff were staying vigilant in anticipation of future developments.
“We don’t suspect anyone of having the illness. The action we have been taking is for precautionary measures … we are monitoring our residents and staff,” she said.
“We are taking an alert, not alarmed, approach. We need to be calm and need to approach what’s happening in our community and across the world in calm and methodical manner.
“That’s all we can do, really.”
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