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Byron Shire
March 29, 2024

Barilaro’s update on regional NSW’s COVID status

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New South Wales Deputy Premier John Barilaro invited journalists to a closed, virtual press conference this afternoon to update regional areas on the current COVID status.

Mr Barilaro said it’s important that to keep regional New South Wales updated. ‘The decision on Saturday was a significant decision to lock down and put in place stay home orders for the broader regional and rural New South Wales.’

Mr Barialro said that the method of reseeding the messages had drawn some flack but it had to be done that way it was. (Mostly by local MPs on social media platforms).

‘I organised a zoom meeting of all local MPs, across political parties, to make sure as leaders in their communities, they could get the message out to the mayors and the community leaders to use their channels, their news channels and their social media channels.

‘That was followed by the more formal press released by (NSW) Health. Now it’s an unorthodox way, but a decision we had to make to get the shutdown before the peak social-gathering period of Saturday evening in regional New South Wales – you can clearly understand why we made that decision.’

Mr Barilaro said today’s numbers as announced earlier are disturbing in some parts of the state and not so in others. Locally the concerns are around sewage surveillance in Lennox Head.

Considering that the Northern Rivers hasn’t had any new cases since the positive COVID man and his children visited, Mr Barilaro was asked what is the likelihood of the area coming out of lockdown on Saturday.

The Deputy Premier said if the regional lockdown is lifted on the weekend, then he would be confident, from the data gathered, that there are no new cases and that the area would come out at this stage. ‘If let’s say there was a decision to lift the lockdown in regional and rural New South Wales, I’d argue right now that everyone would come out except for what’s occurring, possibly in Newcastle, what’s occurring in Dubbo, and what’s occurring and Walgett. And if there are any LGAs joining those that may be of concern – Northern Rivers is performing very well on testing.’

Rules for when you leave your home

There has been some confusion over some of the stay at home rules.

Shopping

  • Stay within 5km of your home, or within your local government area. You can cross into another local government area if it is within 5km of your home and it is not a local government area of concern (unless the food or goods or services or their equivalent are not reasonably available locally).
  • If travelling by a private vehicle (car), do not share a car with other people you do not live with.
  • Only one person per household may leave their home to shop for food or other goods and services (you may take a dependent person with you if that person cannot be left at home on their own). 
  • You may take a dependent person with you if that person cannot be left at home on their own.
  • Go directly to and from the shops to get what you need. Do not spend time looking at other things.

Exercise and outdoor recreation

  • Stay within your local government area or, if you need to cross into another local government area, stay within 5km of your home.
  • If travelling by a private vehicle (car), do not share a car with people you do not live with, except your nominated visitor (“singles bubble”).
    • A nominated visitor in a regional or rural area must reside in your LGA.
  • You can exercise with one other person that you do not live with, or your nominated visitor (“singles bubble”).
  • If you live with more than two other people, you can all go out together for exercise.

Travelling by car

You may only travel in a car with other people that you live with, unless it is for 

  • an emergency
  • a compassionate reason
  • to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person
  • the car is being used as a taxi or rideshare.

You are allowed to share the car with a person you do not live with (carpool) if you are

  • required to use a vehicle for your work (for example, if you are a police officer working in a team of 2 people)
  • travelling with your nominated visitor (“singles bubble”) to exercise outdoors
    • a nominated visitor in a regional or rural area must reside  in your LGA.

Proof of address

You must carry proof of your address if you are exercising outdoors or have left your home for recreation.

You must show your proof of address if asked by the NSW Police.

For a full list of the rules, visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules/affected-regions.

 


 

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