Byron Bay businesses ask for change in restrictions, three new cases confirmed

Byron Bay Chamber of Commerce asked the NSW Government to allow people who have had one dose of a Covid vaccine to be able to enter shops, as three new cases were confirmed in Northern NSW.

Byron Bay businesses have asked the NSW Government for changes to restrictions on those entering their premises who are not fully vaccinated.

In a letter dated October 14, Byron Bay Chamber of Commerce president Mark Ryan requested the measure be slightly relaxed.

“We respectfully request that a ruling allowing regional NSW residents who have had their first vaccination and will be fully vaccinated by November 1 2021, be allowed to enter any business premises from today onwards.”

Mr Ryan said in the letter this change would allow many local businesses to survive.

“We are informed by our members that local businesses are in some cases down 70 per cent in sales, in comparison to last week due to the reduction in their customer base,” the letter reads.

“Unless local customers can return to venues after having had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, Byron Shire businesses will not be able to continue to trade.

“This allowance will assist in at least sustaining local businesses with customers until the rest of NSW is able to travel to the Byron Shire under the 80 per cent vaccinated road map rules.”

The letter was addressed to NSW Premier Dominic Perrotet, and was also delivered to deputy premier Paul Toole, Health minister Brad Hazzard and MLC member Ben Franklin.

Earlier this week, businesses in Byron Bay lamented the changes to the Health Order triggered a sharp decrease in trade.

Travel from Sydney to the regions will still be banned from Monday, even though NSW will reach the 80 percent vaccination threshold over the weekend.

An empty Lawson St, a busy commercial street in Byron Bay.

Three new cases

This comes as Northern NSW recorded three new Covid-19 cases in Lismore, Grafton and Richmond Valley while one case in Coffs Harbour was removed from official records.

According to the Northern Local Health District, one case was recorded in Grafton, a household contact of a previously reported case, one in Casino linked to an existing cluster, and one in Lismore under investigation, up to 8pm Wednesday.

The Clarence Valley cluster remains the biggest in Northern NSW with 24 cases in the past four weeks.

There have now been 92 total cases reported in NNSWLHD since the Delta outbreak began in Sydney on 16 June.

The local infections are part of 406 new locally acquired cases in NSW and four deaths.

A NSW Health breakdown of Covid cases in the past four weeks shows:

• Ballina: 9
• Byron Bay: 6
• Clarence Valley: 24 (+1)
• Coffs Harbour: 5 (-1)
• Kyogle: 16
• Lismore: 14 (+1)
• Richmond Valley: 17 (+1)
• Tweed: 4

NSW Health on Wednesday confirmed Aldi Ballina was visited by a Covid-positive person on Friday, October 8 and anyone there between 6.30pm to 7pm should immediately get tested and isolate.

The information was released late on Wednesday along with a long list of exposure sites in the neighbouring area of the Clarence Valley.

Testing sites in the Ballina area include:

• Ballina 4Cyte Pathology Drive-through Clinic. 319 River Street, Ballina. Open Monday to Sunday, 7am – 2pm.
• Ballina Respiratory Clinic. 92 Tamar Street, Shop 10-12, Tamar Shopping Village, 2478, Ballina. Open Monday to Friday 8:30am – 4:30pm.
• Ballina Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology. 90 Tamar Street, Shop 4, 2478, Ballina. Monday to Friday 6:30am – 5pm. Saturdays 8am – 11:30am.
• Alstonville Sullivan Nicolaides Pathology. Shop 2, 106 Main Street, Alstonville. Open Monday to Friday 7am – 3:30pm.

A total of 15 exposure sites, including five supermarkets, were listed across Grafton and South Grafton on Wednesday.

2447 Covid-19 swab tests have been completed in Grafton in the last five days.

Meanwhile, Ballina Coast High school reopen on Thursday after a member of the school community tested positive to Covid-19.