Tweed Nationals MP Geoff Provest says his office has been inundated with calls about the coronavirus and he is advising Tweed locals to obey all the new rules including social distancing but to increase contact with loved ones through phone and internet technology.

“Our governments have taken some pretty extreme but mostly necessary measures to defeat coronavirus and this has been pretty scary for many Tweed locals, particularly Tweed seniors,” Mr Provest said.

“I know Queensland Labor’s sudden closure of the state border is causing deep anxiety and major inconvenience for locals on both sides of the line, but there is not much we can do about it.”

“All the information you need is on the official NSW Government web site, nsw.gov.au.

Please do not rely on the advice you see on Facebook unless it is from a reliable source.”

“While we cannot be physically near to each other, we should use this challenge to get closer by phone, by email and by video calling like Skype and Facetime.”

Mr Provest said this was especially important with Easter and Anzac Day approaching, times when extended families would normally be sharing a barbecue or packing a community hall to listen to a service.

“We have to stay at home this year, but lets dig deep and contact each other more than usual because that is the spirit of mateship that makes us so proud of our Anzac ancestors,” Mr Provest concluded.

If you are feeling unwell and are not sure about your symptoms, call the 24-hour Healthdirect hotline on 1800 022 222 or your local GP.

If you or anyone you know needs mental health help call Lifeline on 13 11 14; Headspace on 1800 650 890; Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800; or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36.