South coast cafe calls for more outdoor seating as lockdown cuts trade in half
Shellharbour could be freed from restrictive lockdowns as early as August 28, if there are no new cases in the community stop, following a government decision. ROLLING COVERAGE.
The South Coast News
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The NSW Government’s decision to reclassify Shellharbour as a “regional community” could result in Covid restrictions being lifted as early as August 28 — if there are no active cases in the community .
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the reclassification of the region into a regional area meant “if there was a lift on regional or anything else associated with regional NSW, it would apply to Shellharbour and the Central Coast”.
Mr Barilaro said the government extended the regional lockdown across the state until August 28 following a surge in cases across the state — resulting in a permit system established for anyone leaving Sydney.
The new permit, required from August 21, resulted in the reclassification of the Shellharbour.
Up until August 19, the Shellharbour local government area was included in the Greater Sydney restrictions — due to the close proximity to Wollongong.
Mr Barilaro said the inclusion of the Shellharbour Local Government Area as part of the Sydney restrictions would have been a “flaw in the system” when it comes to Sydneysiders accessing the region without a permit.
The changes from the NSW Government comes as a south coast cafe owner says outdoor seating will be the future of hospitality with the Delta coronavirus variant likely to be around for a while.
Cafe Evolve owner Peter Haggar said authorities should increase outdoor spaces for cafes and restaurants already using footpath permits, allowing more customers to eat and drink safely outside.
“I think the more people we could sit outside the better,” Mr Haggar said.
“Living with this virus is about air quality and fresh air.
“If council want to open up a dialogue about using a car space in front of cafe’s for seating that would be welcomed.
“I’m really interested in negotiating something with council about outdoor seating.”
He said metropolitan councils in Melbourne and Sydney already allow for the extra outdoor space.
“Even if we get vaccinated there will be outbreaks,” Mr Haggar said.
“Rather than being stuck inside, I think the more people we have outside the better.”
The idea of waiving fees for outdoor seating and signage during the current statewide lockdown was raised at this week’s Bega Valley Shire Council meeting as local government looks to ease the strain on businesses already struggling.
“We all know what businesses are going through, and things are getting worse now we are in lockdown,” Councillor Jo Dodds said.
“It [Removing these fees] provides a gesture of good will to businesses missing out on business they’ve paid to have access to.”
Acting CEO Anthony McMahon said council faced “financial consequences” after offering relief last year to a region hit hard by bushfires and Covid.
Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick said with future NSW and federal government assistant unknown, council should investigate other areas of financial relief.
“I think there could be a lot more to it [the economic hit] if we don’t have school holiday trade,” he said.
“I think there will be a lot more support needed.”
Council‘s director of community, environment and planning, Alice Howe, said businesses “are struggling”.
“There is more support we can offer.”
Mr Haggar said business is “dramatically down” since the enforcement of this week’s “snap lockdown” on Saturday afternoon.
“We are down 20 per cent on 2019, which means we didn’t get any financial assistance, because you had to be down by 30 per cent,” he said.
“This week we are down by at least 50 to 60 per cent.
“Our staff need support as well. Two have decided to take time off and another is on reduced shifts.
“We are mainly selling coffee and that’s it.
“In the first lockdown we were quiet and then it slowly built up.
“This time there is more fear in the community with Delta likely to get here at some point.”
A number of south coast residents were placed in quarantine last week after visiting a popular Canberra nightclub over the weekend now listed by ACT Health as a potential Covid-19 exposure site.
At least a dozen people aged in their late teens to early 20s from Bega, Merimbula and Tathra and their family members are reportedly quarantining and waiting for test results after the group visited Fiction Club in Canberra in the early hours of August 8.
One of the people quarantining is reportedly a teacher at a local school.
Canberra’s first confirmed case of Covid-19 in over 12 months is reportedly a security guard at the club, and worked until 4.45am on Sunday morning.
Residents reported a four-hour wait for testing at the South East Regional Hospital on Thursday night, after receiving news they were close contacts.
The list of COVID-19 exposure sites in Canberra grew overnight, as the ACT woke to their first full day of lockdown.
ACT Health announced three new confirmed cases on Thursday night after their first case in over 12 months was recorded this week.
Fiction Club released a statement stating the venue is working close with ACT Health.
“Please be aware the health and safety of our clients and staff is our highest priority,” they said.
“Fiction Club will be complying with all ACT health requirements and will remain closed during this period.
“We are working closely with ACT Health today to follow their recommended best practice procedures, including notifying and monitoring staff and identified potential close contacts.”
The Southern NSW Local Health District has been contacted for comment.
This week there were calls for the creation of a mass Covid-19 vaccination hub after a positive case travelled to the south coast by train, and traces of the virus causing the disease have been found in sewage.
An Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District spokesman said contact tracing was underway after an infected person travelled from Mortdale to Bomaderry Station on July 30 between 11.55am and 2.17pm.
NSW health is advising anyone on the train at the time to get tested immediately and self-isolate until a negative result is received.
The department also confirmed the infected person visited the Kiama Woolworths at Kiama View Shopping Centre on the same day between 5pm and 5.15pm and the Nowra NAB Bank branch from 2.50pm to 3.05pm.
The department said anyone who attended the venues at the times listed is now considered a casual contact, and must immediately get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.
“Please get tested even if you have had a test in recent days. You should continue to monitor for symptoms and if any symptoms occur, get tested again,” they said.
“NSW Health advises that people who visited NAB Bank in Nowra and have no symptoms, do not need to isolate while waiting for their test results. You must follow all other health advice for a casual contact.”
An NAB spokesman said a “pandemic clean” has been undertaken and staff are getting tested and currently isolating.
“We encourage all customers to continue following the advice of NSW Health and continue to check exposure site updates,” they said.
Shoalhaven Mayor Amanda Findley said she agrees with the idea of a hub, a week after the ACT also imposed quarantine regulations on anyone from the region visiting the nation’s capital.
She said the Nowra Showground, currently a drive-through testing centre, is a possible option.
“I’m really supportive of that happening. We can’t access Wollongong, and it makes sense to at least have a drive-through vaccination place here,” she said.
“The showground has been suggested, and so has the big, old temporary Bunnings.”
While close contacts have been asked to be tested as soon as possible and isolate until they received a negative result, there have been no positive cases recorded in the Shoalhaven.
NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said on Wednesday she had not been advised of a positive case in Nowra.
The state recorded 344 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and two more deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday.
While she said it is too soon to enforce a lockdown, Mayor Findley said the creation of a hub in the region would possibly “boost” vaccination rates, which she said were “good” so far.
Wollongong developer Maurice Bertapelle said his new “purpose-built Covid fighting building”, including five-star office space on Berry Street in the Nowra CBD, is ideal for a vaccination hub.
Mr Bertapelle said a vaccine hub was “desperately needed” in the Shoalhaven.
“ICONIC was designed and built for the future to cope with the current Covid virus and provide a safer work environment as well as providing lifestyle facilities to create a happy workplace environment, with features such as an airconditioning system which kills 99.8 per cent of virus’, bacteria, and the flu through the use of UVA filters,” he said.
On Friday, the health district urged Shoalhaven residents to get tested with even the mildest symptoms of Covid after fragments of the virus were detected in samples from the Bomaderry and it was revealed Sydneysiders were taking advantage of lockdown ‘loopholes’ to visit holiday homes on the coast.
Detection of virus fragments in sewage can also be due to shedding of the virus by someone who may have previously had the illness and may no longer be infectious, a NSW Health spokeswoman said.
It can also be the result of a person with COVID-19 who may have visited the community and has since left the area, they said.
The health district opened its purpose built vaccination in Wollongong on Monday for locals who had previously booked a jab online.
Illawarra Shoalhaven Health District chief executive Margot Mains said: “We understand that there is a large demand for appointments across our region. We’re delighted that so many members of our community appreciate the importance of vaccination and we ask for continued patience as we ramp up the clinic to full capacity as more vaccine becomes available.”
Data released by the federal government reveals 22 per cent of Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands residents are fully vaccinated, while 505 per cent have received one jab.
The health district has had 175 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, of which 125 were acquired overseas.
NSW Health, the health district and NAB have been contacted for further comment.
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