Paul Bibby
Stay-at-home orders will be introduced for the Byron Shire, Tweed and Kempsey Local Government Areas (LGAs) from 5pm today for seven days due to an increased COVID-19 public health risk.
These stay-at-home orders, introduced by the State Government, also apply to anyone who has been in an affected LGA since the following dates:
- Kempsey LGA – 14 September
- Byron LGA – 18 September
- Tweed LGA – 18 September
Everyone in the affected LGAs must stay at home unless it is for an essential reason, which includes shopping for food, medical care, getting vaccinated, compassionate needs, exercise and work or tertiary education if you can’t work or study at home.
People who are fully vaccinated can attend an outdoor gathering of up to five people for exercise or outdoor recreation, as long as all of those aged 16 or older are fully vaccinated.
To determine the extent of the risk and detect any further potential COVID-19 cases in these areas, NSW Health is calling on the communities to come forward for testing in large numbers.
‘A strong response to testing will be a key factor in determining if these stay-at-home orders are extended beyond one week,’ NSW Health said.
‘High vaccination rates are also essential to reduce the risk of transmission and protect the health and safety of the community.’
‘COVID-19 vaccination is available through NSW Health clinics, GPs, pharmacies and Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS).’
Use the COVID-19 vaccine eligibility checker to find the nearest vaccination clinic, or visit: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/health-and-wellbeing/covid-19-vaccination-nsw/get-your-covid-19-vaccination-nsw
A list of regional and rural NSW Health vaccination clinics is available on the NSW Government website: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/health-and-wellbeing/covid-19-vaccination-nsw/vaccination-clinics-regional-and-rural
Ah the joys of living in the anti-vax headquarters! Any other reason Ballina is free and we’re not?
Can someone please explain to me how Sydney is in lockdown but it’s acceptable for someone to fly to the Northern Rivers and spread COVID? None of this makes sense and seems like people have rules and exemptions we’re not aware of. Very very confusing. I see planes constantly landing into Ballina, even during the previous lockdown. WTF? Where are they coming from? Where are they going?
Oh aren’t we lucky to have the “medical experts “ protecting us,please send some donations to the AMA, TGA and the pharmaceutical industry, they are doing it tough now and they are only doing this to protect your health…ooops,I meant their business 🤑🤑🤑
After the Hoxton Park party where over 20 people contracted the virus, the state government were so slow to act the virus was allowed to spread widely causing a ‘national emergency ‘ as the Premier stated. Vaccines from the North Coast were sent to Sydney to help with the disaster.
Now all the thanks we get is plane loads of possibly infectious Sydney residents allowed ‘exemptions’ to travel to the North Coast bringing the virus with them. Hence the North Coast is forced into another lockdown!!
Something is very wrong with this situation and someone needs to be held accountable.
All because some selfish, entitled asshat didn’t do the right thing 🤬
Stop the flights in, this is not going to end well with low vaccination and recalcitrant locals.
This locking down of borders has to stop. Nothing is going to be gained with again locking down the Tweed district aside from breaking people’s spirits. Let people go back to work. You would think after two years that lockdowns simply postpone the inevitable. That being, living with Covid
Queensland cannot allow failed NSW LNP Govt policy into Queensland, no if’s, no but’s! The Queensland health system cannot cope with this level of failure that has happened in NSW and crossed the border and infected Victoria. Talk to people in health, this is a massive tragedy that Berejiklian/Morrison Govt’s have inflicted on all of us!
Great ! Lock down ends and Virgin Airlines puts up specials from Sydney and Melbourne to Byron. What could possibly go wrong ?
Wouldn’t mind if they flew direct to Byron, Virgin trying to land at Tyagarah airport would be an interesting situation
Would the Echo mind providing the actual detail of the alleged risk please.
The woman who was identified as the COVID Positive was fully vaccinated…no more comment needed!
It’s not enough said at all. How many times do you need to read the same replies Herbert? While the vaccines offer very high protection against serious illness and death they are not 100% effective against infection. No one I have read has claimed any different.
No vaccines are 100% effective; it’s why herd immunity is the aim with high vaccination rates. That’s not propaganda it’s maths.
Hear Hear Liz,
I am 75 years old with high blood pressure and cholesterol which I take medication for. I am fully vaccinated with AZ and guess what? No aftermath with it except a sore arm for a couple of days. Didn’t even need a Panadol. My brother at 74 who’s health is worse than mine had no problem either!
The unvaccinated will keep us in lockdown, so if you are sick of it then get the jab for god’s sake! It won’t kill you as much as Covid will. Don’t be a Covidiot! Because it seems the Shire is full of them.
So another Sydney arrival has ruined another week of potential earnings in out tourism industry. An Authorised worker? From I’m a celebrity rubbish… Thanks Sydney
So where’s the State National party member for Tweed Geof Provest in all of this? Someone commented to me yesterday that if you phone his office you can hear the sound of the ocean?
Time to ban people from covid hotspots from entering the regions…these ‘essential’ worker exemptions are ridiculously arbitrary…you’re not essential unless youre in the medical industry….a showbiz worker?!?! What sort of joke rule is that? No wonder NSW is up shitt creek…we have idiots in charge who don’t understand how the virus works. Rapid antigen tests are unreliable. This constant trickle of patently unessential workers from sydney is ruining peoples livelihoods are entire industries up here!!! People in Sydney and other hotspot areas JUST STAY AWAY!!!!
It’s so good that “I’m a celebrity” is going to pay for the full costs of this lockdown.
Just get vaccinated. Plenty of AstraZdenica available. I’ve had mine. No problems at all.
We can’t live in lockdown forever. The unvacinated will probably have to catch Covid to wake up to their studidity.
Queenslanders are not getting vaccinated. Mandy Pxyz or whatever her name is wants the NSW QLD border open when NSW is at 95% Vaccinated for people aged baby’s to the grave. This is on “medical advice”.
So how much longer are we going to let them cross to NSW – under Mandy’s rules.
Far tooo many QLD number plates in the Tweed – STOP QLD FROM COMING INTO NSW!!!