Flower Market Circular – 8 February 2022
| Edition 139 View this email in your browser |
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| In this edition of the Flower Market Circular: – Vaccination after contracting COVID-19 – Annual Access Card Renewal – Valentine’s Day Market News Vaccination after contracting COVID-19  Vaccination is important to get maximum protection against further COVID-19 infection, even after you have had COVID-19. The recommendation for vaccination after testing positive to COVID-19 has recently changed. Most people (including children aged 5 to 11) who have tested positive to COVID-19 can get a COVID-19 vaccine when: – their acute symptoms resolve and they are feeling better (that is, they are able to return to normal activities), and – they have completed their 7 days of isolation. There is no recommended interval between COVID-19 recovery and receiving a vaccine dose. The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) has no requirement to delay COVID-19 vaccination for people who have been infected with COVID-19. Possible exemptions: – If a person was in hospital when they had COVID-19, they should speak with their doctor before receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. – If a person has received specialised treatment for COVID-19 (for example, monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma), a 90-day interval is recommended before getting a COVID-19 vaccination. In some cases, people with severe and ongoing COVID-19 symptoms may require a medical exemption. This exemption can be for up to four months. More information is available in ATAGI’s Expanded Guidance on temporary medical exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines. Annual Access Card Renewal All Melbourne Market access cards have a common expiry date of 30 April each year. In previous years the MMA has asked market businesses to fill out and send back paper-based forms to let us know if any access cards linked to your business are no longer required before statements are distributed. With the launch of the My MMA Portal, this process of removing unwanted access cards is now available to complete online with a simple click of a button, reducing unnecessary form filling. Before Monday 21 February, businesses should log onto their My MMA Portal and select any access cards they would like to de-activate from their business account to avoid unnecessary charges. If you haven’t set up your business’s My MMA Portal account, contact Amanda Flannery at aflannery@melbournemarket.com.au or 0428 910 182 to nominate a business representative and confirm business details. Valentine’s Day  Valentine’s Day is next Monday and The Come and Get Your Love campaign is now in full swing, with instore, social media and radio advertising encouraging consumers to head to their local florist to pick up their loved ones beautiful, fresh and homegrown flowers. You can listen to one of our radio advertisements here.  THINK SAFETY STICK TO THE APPROPRIATE SPEED LIMIT The Speed limit for All vehicles travelling on First Street and Haymarket Road is 15kmph. The Speed limit for All vehicles travelling on Badayla Road & Produce Drive is 40kmph. Random speed checks are completed by the MMA at various locations around the site and at various times. Market users found travelling above the speed limit will be issued with an infringement.  Lunar New Year 2022 Happy Lunar New Year! As previously communicated, due to COVID case numbers, unfortunately, the Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne were unable to perform the traditional lion dance and blessings through the market this year. 2022 is the year of the Tiger, specifically the Water Tiger. The tiger is considered the king of all animals in Chinese mythology and culture, it symbolises power, courage, confidence, leadership and strength. It’s also known to be an animal that expels all evil. On behalf of everyone at the Melbourne Market, we wish our Asian community best wishes and good fortune throughout the year of the tiger. What’s your sign? In Western astrology, your sign is linked to a constellation determined by when your birthday falls in the calendar. But according to the Chinese zodiac (生肖), it’s your shuxiang, meaning the animal assigned to your birth year. Of the many stories explaining these animal signs and their arrangement, the most enduring is The Great Race. Watch the video above to understand more about the Chinese Zodiac. Market Satisfaction Survey Winners Thank you to everyone who completed the 2021 Market Satisfaction Survey. Your feedback is crucial for us to continue to improve the operations, facilities and opportunities for businesses at the Melbourne Market. Our lucky prize draw winners picked up their prizes last week. Pictured below we have John picking up his brand new smart TV and Aldo receiving his new Boom speaker. Customer service is also currently handing out $15 cafe vouchers to the first 40 flower market users who completed the survey. These people have been contacted separately via email and SMS.    2022 Charity Golf Day – Alexis’ Story The highly anticipated Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day is right around the corner. The golf day raises much-needed funds for not-for-profit organisation DEBRA Australia, which works tirelessly to support those living with a rare skin blistering disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB).  DEBRA helps support children living with EB and their families, families like Alexis’. Alexis was born with EB, a disease her parents described as “living with third-degree burns for your entire life.” At the age of three Alexis’s EB started to improve ever so slightly, and she began experiencing things her parents had never imagined she would be able to do, given that on many days, it was even too painful for her to take a few steps on the red-raw soles of her feet. Unfortunately, after this improvement, Alexis fell ill and was diagnosed with stage four Wilms Tumour, a kidney disease that affects one in every 10,000 children. Alexis passed away only 2.5 weeks after her diagnosis, leaving her parents and one-month-old sister behind. DEBRA was able to support Alexis’ family through the bereavement process through funds raised directly from the previous Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day. You can support families like Alexis’ by supporting the Melbourne Market Charity Golf Day. To find out about sponsorship opportunities or to register a team, click here to download a registration form. Industry News Loved-Up Aussies To Splurge $415 Million On Valentine’s Day; With Flowers, Choccies & Booze Topping The List Research from the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), in conjunction with Roy Morgan, shows Australians will be spending an average amount of $111 on their gifts. Flowers will be in hot demand, mentioned by 39 per cent of people who plan on buying a gift followed by chocolates/food and alcohol (28 per cent) and jewellery (nine per cent). Consumers in NSW are set to spend $126 million on their Valentines Day gifts, with Victorians to spend $107 million and Queenslanders $77 million. Read more here. How to take care of indoor plants in hot weather and heatwaves  We all know how important it is to slip, slop, slap during the warmer months. But how do you keep your indoor plants happy over summer, and especially during a heatwave. We asked Melbourne plant store owner Samantha Roxas and Brisbane horticulturalist James Mudge to find out. Read more here. Melbourne Market Job Board  Do you have a vacancy to fill in your business? Email submissions@melbournemarket.com.au for the position to be placed on our online job board. Looking for a new role? Check out the online job board via the button below. View full online job board Ask the MMA If you’ve got a question for the MMA email it to: submissions@melbournemarket.com.au. Follow us  |
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