Lismore MP Janelle Saffin is angry a person with Covid was allowed to visit Northern Rivers

A Lismore MP says a person, who has since been confirmed to have Covid-19, travelled to the Northern Rivers “with permission” from the NSW Government.

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin has called for the communty to get tested and adhere to lockdown restrictions after the latest warning for local communities from NSW Health.

Lismore MP Janelle Saffin says a person who sparked a Covid-19 warning in Casino and Muli Muli travelled from Sydney and she wants to know how it was allowed to happen.

Ms Saffin said she did not understand why anyone would be allowed to travel to an Aboriginal community from Greater Sydney in the middle of the lockdown.

“What I know is that a person travelled up with permission to attend an event and they were in the Woodenbong area, at Muli Muli, and also that they travelled to Casino and they are checking if this person travelled to other places,” she said.

The person tested positive for Covid-19 on their trip back to Sydney, Ms Saffin said.

“I don’t know the details, but what I have said since Sydney locked down, is that we don’t want people coming out of the Greater Sydney area here,” she said.

“Communities everywhere push to have exemptions, but people should not be coming to the area from Greater Sydney and locals raise that with me all the time.

“We were told there was nobody coming out of Sydney and now we have this.”

NSW Health statistics show the 2470 postcode area, which includes Casino, has 12,287 residents eligible to receive the Covid vaccine.

Of those, 50 to 59 per cent have had one dose and 20 to 29 per cent have had two doses.

In the 2476 postcode, including Woodenbong, the eligible population for vaccination is only 267.

Of those, with 50 to 59 per cent have had one dose and 20 to 29 per cent have had two.

Mrs Saffin said a lockdown loophole for people to travel to the area to look for property, which sparked the lockdown in Ballina, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Byron Shires on early August, had been tightened up.

The member for Lismore said people needed to adhere to social distancing, avoid protests that congregated people in one place and wear masks.

“I know we live in an area where people don’t want to wear masks, it’s a preventive act to keep yourself safe and others,” she said.

“I understand why people want to protest, but right now people protesting about lockdown can only cause further community concern and contribute to longer lockdowns.

“Use Twitter, Facebook, the old fashion telephone, use all of that, but right now (in site protests are) not a good idea, apart of being unlawful.”