Coronavirus: COVID inspectors fine businesses in south-west over infringements

Non-compliance with COVID check in requirements were part of the reason a series of businesses in Sydney’s south-west were fined over the weekend.

A restaurant in Canley Vale is among nine businesses in Sydney’s south-west fined for alleged COVID safe breaches.

The restaurant located on Canley Vale Road was issued a $5000 Penalty Infringement Notice,

while another eight businesses in Fairfield and Canley Vale were each issued a $1000 Penalty Infringement Notice.

The two most common offences identified amongst all the venues was failing to complete a COVID-19 Safety Plan and failing to have customers sign in via the Service New South Wales QR Application.

FEDS REVEAL COVID PASSPORT PLAN

A vaccine certificate system will roll out with the first coronavirus jabs at the end of February, with Government Services Minister Stuart Robert declaring it’s “highly likely” they will be required for international travel.

News of the effective COVID-19 passport comes as NSW recorded its 21st day without a single community-transmitted case of coronavirus.

Mr Robert confirmed the federal government planned to issue both digital and paper-base certificates to people who have had a COVID-19 vaccine, and it was expected any borders opening up would require ‘widespread use” of the document.

Government Services Minister Stuart Robert. Picture: Gary Ramage

“There is still a range of decisions for governments to make, it’s highly likely that a certificate will be required for international visitors to Australia and we will continue to work with our international counterparts on our framework for vaccination certificates,” he said.

“Australians can have assurance the certificate they will have will be robust, it will be anchored to them, so they will know it’s there certificate, and it will be widely accepted.”

NSW ON TRACK TO COVID BENCHMARK

There were no new locally-acquired COVID cases recorded in NSW in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, marking our state’s 21st virus-free day in a row.

NSW is now just seven days away from reaching 28 virus-free days and effective elimination of the virus in the community, provided no new local cases are detected between now and next Sunday.

A COVID-19 testing clinic sign at Sydney International Airport on Saturday. Picture: Jenny Evans

There were 9248 tests processed in the reporting period compared with 12,521 the day before.

One new case was detected in a returned international traveller.

NSW has also introduced an extra test for returned travellers, who are now asked to get a test two days after leaving hotel quarantine.

Authorities continue to screen travellers coming from Victoria. Anyone entering NSW from the southern state by air or rail needs to complete a passenger declaration form indicating if they have been to any venues of concern identified by Victorian authorities.