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Byron Shire
February 14, 2025

96 new cases of COVID-19 in the NNSWLHD Update for December 17

Latest News

Local triathletes fire up for the Tweed Enduro 

A contingent of the Byron Tri Club joined 600 other competitors in Pottsville last weekend for the 2025 Tweed Enduro. 

Other News

Goodwill lost over museum backflip

Lismore City Council yesterday chose to ignore the pleas of the Richmond River Historical Society and its supporters that the city's museum be allowed to return to its home in Molesworth Street, which has been renovated following the 2022 floods.

Go to the Pond to get Stung!

Following a run of sold-out shows in major cities across Australia in 2024, Pond are bringing their Stung! album tour to the Beach Hotel, Byron Bay on Saturday, February 22.

Diversity is weakness, according to some

Until recently the acronym DEI was unknown in Australia. Now it's become one of those annoying Americanisms like vacation, SUV and soda which are steadily invading our language. Like 'woke', its meaning has been inverted by malicious actors seeking to confuse, divide and conquer.

More on the proposed Suffolk Park traffic lights

Reading the words ‘location design’, I briefly thought Jan Barham was applauding Byron Shire Council’s decision re traffic lights...

MAGA land

Thanks to Jo Immig for her thought-provoking article on the Trump phenomenon. Like all right-wing charlatans, Trump promises things...

Over $500 million announced for women’s health

Richmond MP Justine Elliot has announced that the Albanese government is building Australia’s future and strengthening Medicare, with $573.3 million to deliver more choice, lower costs and better health care for women, including on the North Coast.

Northern NSW Local Health District is urging people to get tested for COVID-19 at
the first sign of symptoms and isolate until a negative result is received.

Local Government Area has 96 new cases:
• Byron 57
• Ballina 18
• Lismore 9
• Tweed 8
• Clarence Valley 4
• Richmond Valley –

Northern NSW Local Health District, Chief Executive, Wayne Jones, says there is one COVID-positive patient in hospital in Northern NSW. ‘To date, no cases in NNSWLHD have been confirmed as the Omicron variant of concern.

‘The most common locations for transmission of COVID-19 in our region continue to
be pubs, parties and gatherings in indoor spaces.

‘We encourage people to celebrate the end of year outdoors where possible, and to
stay home if you are unwell, get a test, and isolate.

Find your nearest testing clinic on the NSW Government website or contact your GP.

Hospital visitors restricted

With increasing transmission rates across NSW, hospitals and health facilities within Northern NSW Local Health District are now restricting all visitors.

Women accessing birthing services can continue to nominate one support person
(participant in care) during her labour, birth and post-birth.

Local exemptions will be considered on a case by cases basis by site management,
and consideration will be given to compassionate and palliative care circumstances.
You can also find information about visitor restrictions on our website at:
https://nnswlhd.health.nsw.gov.au/about/important-updates-for-visitors/

Updated advice for people who are diagnosed with COVID-19

Updates have been made to fact sheets following the easing of restrictions:
Close contacts of COVID-19 (nsw.gov.au)
Confirmed positive cases of COVID-19
• Casual contacts are no longer identified.

Mr Jones says the NSW Health is evolving contact tracing and is prioritising case interviews and detailed follow up with people diagnosed with COVID-19 who have been to a place where there are people at high risk of severe disease, such as in healthcare, aged care, disability care, Aboriginal people and communities, and correctional facilities.

‘The updated fact sheets advise cases and close contacts of what steps they need to follow, including advice to prompt their social contacts to be tested.

‘Exposure risk assessments in all other settings, like workplaces, are managed by those venues directly. Step-by-step instructions for businesses can be found via the NSW Health website.’


Recent stories, information and updates regarding COVID-19

COVID-19 reduces Australian life expectancy

New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics Life shows life expectancy in Australia has decreased slightly for the second year in a row.

43

Wuhan market increasingly likely origin point for COVID-19

An international team of researchers has found more evidence that COVID-19 came from animals in a Wuhan food market.

23

Editorial – There’s a bat in my lab! 

The lab-leak theory that Covid-19 came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology – instead of a nearby wet market – was thrashed about in public recently, with the US Senate Homeland Security Committee holding a hearing into Covid-19. 

10

Fresh air federal funds for Northern Rivers schools in need

Eighteen schools in the Northern Rivers division of Richmond have received $25,000 each as part of the federal government’s School Upgrade Fund, Labor Member for Richmond Justine Elliot said last week.

1

COVID-19 pandemic has cut life expectancy globally

COVID-19 reversed earlier trends toward longer life expectancies. During the pandemic, life expectancies globally dropped by 1.6 years according to a new study published in the Lancet medical journal.

1

COVID-19 update for New South Wales

Let’s not forget that Covid-19 is still a big issue in our community with 31,935 cases reported across Australia in the last week – an average of 4,562 cases per day.

9

Five graphs you need to see before the Global Carbon Budget...

The Global Carbon Budget is about to be refreshed, giving the world a critical insight into how efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are (or are not) progressing.

2

Public transport mask mandate to end

Masks will no longer be mandatory on public transport from tomorrow, Wednesday 21 September.

1

NSW Police: be COVID-vigilant at Splendour in the Grass

SW Police are urging festival-goers at this weekend’s music festival to celebrate in a safe and responsible manner, whilst also being aware of COVID-Safety measures.

2

COVID-19 update for the NNSWLHD – May 23

The Northern NSW Local Health District reports that to 4pm yesterday, Sunday May 22, there were 40 COVID-19 positive patients in hospital in Northern NSW, with one of these in ICU.

0

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Stand off between squatters, police and NSW Reconstruction Authority in Lismore

Yesterday’s attempt to cut off water to nine houses that the NSW Reconstruction Authority has bought back post-flood and are currently occupied by around 30-40 people has led to a standoff. 

How ‘best’ to treat our toilet deposits up for debate at Tweed Council

The recommendation of Tweed Council staff of ‘option 4’ for the upgrade of the Hastings Point Wastewater Treatment Plant has been met with a...

Early end to bushfire danger season for Far North Coast

No fire permits will be needed from midnight on Monday, February 17 on the Far North Coast with the NSW Rural Fire Service having called an early end to the bushfire danger period. 

Youth advisory group supported by Lismore Council

A youth advisory group (YAG) was proposed for Lismore City Council at Tuesday’s council meeting by Labor councillor Harper Dalton-Earls who highlighted that Lismore...