Highlights
- May 12 is marked as International Nurses Day.
- Ms Hundal works as a nurse at a pandemic response centre in Perth, Western Australia.
- Ms Hundal moved her kids to her sisters' place to protect them.
Kirat Hundal works as a staff development nurse at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH) in Perth, which reported the first death due to COVID-19 in Australia.
“Stop being blaśe about this, this is serious,” is her stern message to those who are still not practising social distancing, not staying at home and going about their lives normally.
“I am a nurse working at SCGH, we are the pandemic response centre for WA. I am working closely with the training team for COVID-19. I need everyone to help healthcare workers in fighting what we have at hand which isn’t short of a war,” she told SBS Hindi.
As a healthcare worker who works at a pandemic response centre, Ms Hundal is at high-risk of catching COVID-19.
“It means my two kids are at high risk of getting it from me. As a precaution, I had to make this tough decision of sending my two kids to my sister’s place. I don’t know when I will see them again, when will I hug and kiss them again,” she said.
“The least you can do is stay home and help tackle the spread of this virus,” she pleads.
She has also urged the community to stay away from wrong information being peddled on social media.
“It is very important you get your news and information from authentic sources. Your state’s health department’s website is a good source of up-to-date and accurate information.
“Information on social media can be unreliable. Please educate yourself and don’t go by word of mouth. A classic example is how and when to go to COVID clinic. Do the right thing and save our resources.
“We have very limited resources in the wake of what we might face. So please read the fact sheets and FAQ’s on the website,” she says.
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“Young people do not get COVID-19 is a myth”
Though senior citizens are at higher risk of getting infected, it is a myth that young people are safe from getting COVID-19, Ms Hundal says.
“Practice social distancing, young people, you are at low risk but think about your parents (60 years and above) visiting you who are old and in a high-risk category.
“Think of friends and family who are immunocompromised and living with chronic illnesses.
“Think about many visiting parents who do not have Medicare and the impact of their sickness on you.
“So please keep our high-risk group safe. You can still transfer the virus to them even if you don’t get very sick,” she warns.
People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits.
Australia will ease restrictions in a three-phase manner. Source: SBS Hindi
Testing for coronavirus is now widely available across Australia. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store.
SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at sbs.com.au/coronavirus
