Once-upon-a-time it was trendy to go to a hotspot but the COVID-19 pandemic has changed all that. These days coming from a hotspot is akin to coming from a leper colony.
Tweed Councillor James Owen says that with the COVID-19 situation in Sydney worsening, he is calling on travellers from Sydney hotspots to stay away from the Tweed Shire.
‘While the Tweed Shire is well and truly open for business, we do not want travellers from Sydney hotspots visiting us right now.’
Cr Owen says that the health and safety of our local community must be our number one priority. ‘I urge these travellers to reconsider their need to travel to our region. Equally, I urge those travelling from the Tweed Shire to Sydney hotspots to reconsider their need to travel.
This is regrettable
Cr Owen says that saying this is regrettable. ‘Tourism is the lifeblood of our community – but I am concerned that an outbreak here in the Tweed Shire could overwhelm our local health system and would be devastating for our local economy.
‘Our health authorities, in conjunction with our police, have managed the COVID-19 outbreak exceptionally well, however, there are currently no intrastate travel restrictions in New South Wales and I’m concerned that people can freely travel here from Sydney hotspots.’
Cr Ron Cooper says Cr Owen is spot on. ‘The Tweed Shire has one of the largest concentrations of elderly citizens in NSW. We know now that these valued members of our community are the most vulnerable to the COVID virus.’
Deputy Mayor: it’s a mistake
Deputy Mayor Chris Cherry believes it’s a mistake to tell all people from Sydney to stay away from the area at a time when businesses, who rely heavily on tourism, are desperate to get back to full operation. ‘Accommodation businesses are working so hard to be “COVID-safe” and show we can operate safely in this new environment,’ she said. ‘Social distancing and COVID safe practices have kept our community safe to date.
‘If people are travelling from Sydney to enjoy some sunshine, to visit loved ones and for work, we need them to be safe and continue to do the right thing, just as we are all trying to do.
‘Victorians are already stopped from entering NSW. If we went on to stop Sydney siders from visiting we would kiss some major employment goodbye.’
To date, the Tweed Shire has avoided significant COVID-19 infections, and currently, there are no active cases.
Cr Owen says that as a community we want to keep those numbers from rising. ‘Thirty-two per cent of our residents are aged over 60, and 4.4 per cent of our residents are Aboriginal, placing them in the highly vulnerable category.
‘I reiterate to all those from Sydney hotspots considering travelling to the Tweed Shire, that until the situation is under control, please stay away’.
Recent stories, information and updates regarding COVID-19
-
COVID testing in Byron for holidays
The Northern NSW Local Health District have a mobile COVID-19 testing clinic stationed in the centre of Byron Bay for the duration of the NSW school holidays.
September 29, 2020 | Echonetdaily | 0 -
Police clamping down on PIN infringements across the Richmond PD
Police say that have issued infringements for alleged breaches of Public Health Orders and licensing regulations during a three-day licencing operation in the Richmond Police District over the weekend.
September 21, 2020 | Echonetdaily | 5 -
Planet Watch: Are humans the disease?
Humans have told a lot of stories about how awesome we are, but there's one emerging hypothesis that casts our species in a very anti-heroic light. In terms of the planet, are we behaving like a disease?
September 15, 2020 | David Lowe | 15 -
Exploring the risks of illegal dwellings
The Byron Shire and the Northern Rivers are well known for their abundent range of illegal dwellings, additions, and converted garages.
September 9, 2020 | Aslan Shand | 0 -
Falls Festival 2020 cancelled
Falls Festival management has announced the festival will not be going ahead in 2020.
August 26, 2020 | Echonetdaily | 0 -
Lismore survey shows community suffering from border closure
Lismore council have been conducting an online survey about the restrictions which has seen the New South Wales/Queensland border closed.
August 26, 2020 | Echonetdaily | 0 -
Two Lismore pubs fined over breaches of COVID-19 Public Health Orders
Two Lismore venues have been issued $5,000 fines following non-compliance with COVID-19 Public Health Orders.
August 25, 2020 | Echonetdaily | 3 -
The WHO COVID-19 mythbusters
The amount and type of Mythbusters on the World Health Organisation’s website would be hysterical if the situation weren’t so deadly serious.
August 24, 2020 | Eve Jeffery | 2 -
Latest COVID-19 stats for New South Wales and Queensland
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) statistics and news from the New South Wales and Queensland.
August 24, 2020 | Echonetdaily | 0 -
Emergency alert issued for Brisbane suburbs
Emergency alerts from Queensland Health have been issued for residents in multiple suburbs in the south, south-east and south-west of Brisbane.
August 23, 2020 | Echonetdaily | 0
Support The Echo
Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.
Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.
The perfect solution to this would be allowing the Queensland premier to move the border checkpoints further south.