Acting on the best information available from health authorities and the federal government, Armidale Regional Council has formulated its COVID-19 policy to better protect its staff and the community against the spread of the disease.
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Council's distancing policy began on Wednesday morning when various staff members were being asked to work from home, and council offices began to close and rely on online and telephone transactions instead of face-to-face interaction.
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Mayor Simon Murray said there was a range of activities being undertaken by staff to compensate for the imminent, temporary absence of personal service.
"On Monday, we will be closing various council facilities, such as the Monkton Pool, the Guyra Pool, the libraries and the administration centres - both Armidale and Guyra," he said.
"If people wish to do business with council it will be need to be on the telephone, which will be available 24/7, or online.
"People will be able to go to the council's website to get the information they need, and a lot of it is there. If they need further information they can make a direct phone call."
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Council CEO Susan Law said council would still be able to facilitate many things, including development applications.
"They can be done online, but if someone has any doubts about the online process, they can simply make a phone call and a staff member will walk them through the process," she said.
"We are not reducing any services. All the road crews, water and sewerage plant operators, all those services will continue. Of course, the airport will remain open and we are now taking extra care with our cleaning.
"I know some airlines have made announcements, but there has been no cancellation of flights that I am aware of. However, there certainly has been a drop in the number of passengers travelling."
Cr Murray said the policy was necessarily adaptable because everyday council services would be done differently. People would still be able to deal with the library, but through its home library system. Citizenship ceremonies would be postponed where possible and conducted in smaller groups.
"If we find we need to do something in the future we'll be able to consider it," he said.
"This comes at a time when we have a lot of challenges ahead of us, and in a time when we're being told to wash our hands for 20 seconds, our water consumption could actually increase.
"We won't stop this virus, so we need to look after each other, and if you are feeling unwell, call your doctor, don't go to the surgery. Describe your symptoms over the telephone and importantly, stay calm and don't go anywhere near a crowd of people."
Local Government NSW has also prepared advice for councils by collating information from various sources, including The Office of Local Government and NSW Health.
A LGNSW spokesperson said it was all about helping to make sure people had facts and resources to reduce the risk of transmission and manage and contain incidences of the COVID-19.
