Canberra's emergency services are bracing for more thunderstorms after hail early in the week left hundreds without power.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The territory's climbing COVID-19 case numbers had not hampered their workforces, an Evo Energy spokesperson said.
Virginia Zilinskas, 86, has been living without power since Monday evening, when an intense hail storm blew through her street in Hawker.
"Trying to get a hot shower, for one thing, and even a hot meal or anything like that," she said. "I can't cook. There's nothing I can cook, everything's gone off as well.
"I just think every day what I can have to eat because everything's gone off."
Ms Zilinskas had not been able to call concerned people interstate. She also did not have a car to access more services.
"The neighbours have been wonderful and they're helpful and everything, but I'm very independent person, too, and I hate asking for help," she said.
Residents in Hawker said they were told power may not be back until Sunday.
Deputy Chief Minister Yvette Berry said 1665 homes and businesses were still without power on Thursday, according to EVO Energy.
"Our emergency services are working with our colleagues across the ACT to get everybody's power back on as soon as they can," she said.
"EVO Energy are rotating all available staff on shift to manage the response and restore power. However, they expect that some homes and businesses may be without power until tomorrow and possibly longer."
Ms Berry said work to restore power was complex and time-consuming.
An EVO Energy spokesperson said the COVID situation had not created workforce shortages.
"We haven't had any resource shortages due to COVID. We are rotating employees in the field and maintaining our COVID-safe plan," the spokesperson said.
"We have had people come back from leave as well, which has been really supportive."
ACT chief police officer, Deputy Commissioner Neil Gaughan, said about 17 police staff were unable to work as of Thursday morning.
It's understood the number of impacted firefighters and paramedics was under 20.
A community information hub has been opened at RFS Molonglo Brigade, providing charging stations, ice for eskies and a skip to dispose of food waste, as well as incident information.
Some Hawker residents said the hub was helpful, but accessing information about it without power had been a struggle.
As of 6am on Thursday there had been 863 requests for assistance to emergency services, 720 of which had already been completed.
Ms Berry said Canberrans who were isolating at home due to COVID-19 should "contact their community relief services, that's available on the ESA website as well as on the social media pages".
"They can get in touch with me directly or the local members out here as well to make sure that they are being supported if they're isolating because of COVID," she said.
"This is an emergency situation so they are able to leave isolation and to get into other accommodation either paid accommodation at a hotel or an apartment, or with a neighbour making sure that they remain COVID safe."
Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this outbreak of COVID-19 in the ACT is free for anyone to access. However, we depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also sign up for our newsletters for regular updates.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Bookmark canberratimes.com.au
- Download our app
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram