Residents of the Dubbo Regional Council local government area, as well as anyone who has visited localities within the LGA since Sunday, August 1, will have to abide by stay-at-home orders from 1pm today after two positives cases of COVID-19 were detected in the city.
Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders joined with Western NSW Local Health District chief executive Scott McLachlan, Dubbo Regional Council mayor Stephen Lawrence and Orana Mid-Western Police District commander Danny Sullivan to announce the restrictions, which are the same as those currently being undertaken in Greater Sydney and other parts of regional NSW.
“Unfortunately we have had two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the community, and first and foremost my thoughts are with those people and I hope they get well soon and have a speedy recovery,” Mr Saunders said.
“These cases are not thought to be linked to the positive sewage tests announced in recent days, so staff from NSW Health are working to try and trace the source.
“As a result of those confirmed cases, we’ve moved quickly to put the stay-at-home orders in place, but the messaging remains the same as it has been. If you feel unwell, get tested and isolate and if you have to go out for a legitimate reason, do what you need to do, wear a mask and go straight home again.
“It was wonderful to see so many people heeding the advice and lining up for tests this morning, and it is important that that continues because the only way we can get in front of this is by people coming forward and ensuring we are aware of any other cases that may be in our community.”
Under the orders, if leaving the home to go shopping, residents must stay within their LGA or within 10km of home. Only one person per household may leave their home each day 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.
If leaving the home for exercise and outdoor education, residents must stay within their LGA or within 10km of home. You can exercise with one other person that you do not live with. You can exercise in a group of more than two if all from the same household.
Business and Retail
Most retail premises will be required to be closed to the public. Businesses providing essential products and services that can be open include:
- supermarkets
- grocery stores including
- butchers, bakeries, fruit and vegetable, seafood
- other food or drink retailers that predominantly sell or display food or drinks
- kiosks and other small food and drink premises
- petrol stations
- banks and financial institutions
- hardware, building supplies
- landscaping material supplies
- agricultural and rural supplies
- shops that, in the normal course of business, operate as or sell and display
- pet supplies
- newsagents
- office supplies
- chemists providing health, medical, maternity and baby supplies or
- liquor stores
- post offices
- garden centres and plant nurseries
- vehicle hire premises, not including the premises at which vehicles are sold
- shops that predominantly carry out repairs of mobile phones
- laundromats and drycleaners
Businesses may continue to operate if they provide goods and services to customers that are:
- ordered by phone or internet
- delivered to customers
- collected by customers.
A ‘click and collect’ service can also be used by customers to return or exchange goods by prior arrangement either by phone or internet.
Outdoor Gatherings
Outdoor public gatherings will be limited to two people, unless you are:
- working at a premises that is permitted to be open if you cannot work from home
- attending a university or other tertiary education facility if you cannot study from home
- providing care or assistance to vulnerable persons
- gathering with other people in your household
- providing emergency assistance to a person
- fulfilling a legal obligation
- moving home or moving your business to a new premises
- gathering for a funeral or memorial service that complies with the rules for funerals and memorial services.
Renovations, repairs, maintenance and cleaning
All work (renovations, repairs, maintenance and cleaning) is permitted to continue at a place of residence if:
- No more than two workers are visiting at the same time (whether or not the workers are carrying out prescribed work or other work) or five persons if they are all outside, AND
No person, other than a worker, is in the same room when the worker is carrying out the work.