Why we are all staying at home

Use this story to talk about why you aren’t going out. This is not about 14 days of isolation. This is about going into the community less to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

This book includes optional pages. You can delete the optional pages, or you can fill them in together when you read the book. Keep the book somewhere you can see it and read it often.

We are all staying at home.

We care about each other a lot.

We are staying at home.

I live at

with

My Home

Glue a photo or drawing of your home here

This is because of a new virus that’s making people sick.

It is called the coronavirus.

We can catch this virus from other people very easily.

We can get sick if someone sneezes or coughs near us or we touch something with the virus on it, and then touch our faces.

We can all help each other to stay healthy and stop the coronavirus spreading by staying home.

Not only sick people are staying home, everyone is staying home.

We will stay home and stay safe.

every day.

I will still see

This means we will not be able to go to some of our favourite places or see all people we usually do.

A lot of our normal daily routines will change and be different.

like cafes, gyms, pools, libraries, live music, religious places, birthday parties.

We can not go out to a lot of places or events that we would normally go to...

We will not go to

Instead we will stay home and

We can still get all the things we need when staying home.

If we need help, people can still help us.

There are some places we will still be able to go and get things if we really need to.

For example,

• we can go to the doctor’s clinic if we are sick

• we can go to the hospital if we are very sick

• we can go to the chemist if we need medicine

• we can go to the supermarket to get food

If we go to these places we must

• not stand close to other people

• wash our hands or use hand sanitiser.

But even if places are open we will stay home most of the time.

A lot of places can now deliver things we need to our home, like food and medicine.

And we can talk to the doctor over phone or video.

We will not be able to visit our family and friends for a while.

And they may not be able to come and visit us.

I can talk to my family and friends on the phone, email or social media.

If people have to visit us, only one or two people can come at a time.

They will only stay for a short time.

They will wash their hands when they get here and when they leave.

Some people might feel sad, scared, lonely or frustrated. This is ok.

I can tell someone I trust how I am feeling.

If I feel sad, scared, lonely or frustrated I will tell someone how I feel.

When I feel

I can

Doctors, nurses and scientists are working hard and learning as much as they can to stop the coronavirus

and keep everyone safe.

We can help too.

We all need to help stop the virus spreading by staying home.

This will help keep me safe.

This will help keep my family safe.

This will help keep my friends safe.

We can still have fun while staying at home. For example,

• keep in touch with family and friends over the phone, email or social media

• garden in our backyard

• watch TV

• cook

• read a book

• do craft activities

• listen to music

Staying home is important and will help keep people safe.

This will all be for a while.

But it will not be forever.

One day, we will be able to go to our favourite places and see all the people we normally see again.

PhotosGlue your photos in the space below

If we do not need to go somewhere, we will stay home.

We can stay safe and healthy.

We can all help to keep each other safe and healthy.

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National Coronavirus Helpline

Call this line if you are seeking information on the coronavirus (COVID-19). The line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 1800 020 080.