News & Events

COVID-19

 

As you are no doubt aware, the global community is being impacted upon by the recent emergence of COVID-19 (commonly referred to as “Corona Virus”) and the public health concerns are now impacting Australia.  While the full extent and impact of COVID-19 is yet to be known given how recently the virus emerged, it is clear that there are certain people in the community for whom the virus poses a greater threat and who are more vulnerable to developing more severe symptoms.  From what we understand, this includes but is not limited to people aged over 50, as well as people with underlying conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and high blood pressure.  And of greater relevance is the susceptibility of people suffering from respiratory illnesses/conditions and cancers, including asbestos disease, lung cancer and mesothelioma.


Given the majority of our membership fall within many of the vulnerable groups at risk of contracting the virus and having more severe symptoms, the AMAA Board has made the decision to postpone our upcoming member gatherings that we host at our Asbestos Community Outreach Centre in Tweed Heads Bowls Club.  At this stage we will not be hosting a Butterfly Gathering in March nor will we be hosting the April Member Forum on Wednesday 1 April 2019.  We will work with the scheduled guest speaker from Cannabis Doctors Australia (CDA) to return at a date later in the year to ensure you do not miss out on this vital and relevant information.  If you are keen to speak to a CDA representative in the interim, please contact our office and we will be able to assist you in this regard.


The AMAA Outreach Centre will remain operational at this time, however we request that if you are intending on visiting the Centre if possible that you call ahead to notify our volunteer of your visit.  This will ensure our volunteers are ready and in attendance – in the unlikely event that our volunteer is not able to be onsite.


The AMAA Board stresses to each of you that this decision has not been taken lightly as we are aware of how important these social and support gatherings are for many of you, however, we ask for your patience as we seek further expert medical guidance on keeping our members as safe as possible at any future gatherings.  It is imperative that we act collectively to ensure the safety and well being of each of our members – both physically and emotionally – so while we have taken the unprecedented step of postponing our upcoming events, we assure you that you can still speak with an AMAA representative for any matter or concern by calling our toll free number 1800 017 758 or emailing us at info@www.asbestosassociation.com.au.  Additionally, we encourage our members, supporters and friends to reach out to and check in with fellow AMAA friends who may be struggling during these challenging and uncertain times.


We will strive to keep you up to date as to the status of our future events and remember to keep up to date instantaneously with AMAA notices by visiting our website (www.asbestosassociation.com.au) or the AMAA Facebook page.  We will be posting relevant articles and information for you to read and consider on our website and Facebook page as we receive them moving forward.


Please feel free to contact AMAA if you have any concerns or queries about this decision or if you need any assistance or support whatsoever. The AMAA Team is here for you and your family.


The AMAA Board and volunteers thanks for your understanding and we look forward to resuming usual operations in the near future.

Kind regards

The AMAA Team 

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