It's time to say thanks to those who have helped keep Ballarat COVID-safe
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As each day brings lower numbers and a hope to return to life as COVID-normal, it is worth reflecting on those who have never stopped working and played their part to keep Ballarat free from the worst of the pandemic.
Friday will mark a special day to say 'thanks', and first in line deserving our praise are the healthcare workers who, in all their myriad roles, have played a key part.
The Courier and our community salute you.
Look out for the stories of Ballarat's healthcare workers at thecourier.com.au over the coming days
Nursing student Ella Bibby was quick to put up her hand when BHS recruited new staff to help during the pandemic.
She was one of more than a dozen university students employed in screening support services, taking the temperature and contact details of everyone arriving at hospital and ensuring people walking through the door were supposed to be there.
LEAVE YOUR THANKS TO OUR COVID HEROES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ARTICLE
"We were there to screen and ensure the traffic flow in to the hospital and contact tracing through the hospital was all fine," she said.
The hard part of the job was, during the strictest lockdown period, telling family and friends of patients that they could not enter to visit.
"Some days were stressful because you understand when people come in getting upset because things are so different, and it's hard when someone is in hospital and you can't go in and see them," she said.
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Staff were also required to be screened when arriving for work, though an online system introduced more recently helped streamline the process.
BHS chief executive Dale Fraser said new jobs created during the pandemic meant that, at the height of the COVID outbreaks, there were up to an extra 240 staff working at BHS. The number has dropped to around 120 to 140 extra staff at the moment.
LEAVE YOUR THANKS TO OUR COVID HEROES HERE