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For Dubbo Regional Council's COVID-19 response, including the current operations of Council services, please visit: dubbo.nsw.gov.au/covid

Stay at home rules currently apply to the Dubbo Regional Council Local Government Area (LGA)

The NSW Government announced on Thursday 9 September that the current stay-at-home orders will remain in place for the Dubbo Regional Council LGA. Our LGA includes:

• Dubbo
  
• Wellington
• Ballimore
• Bodangora
• Brocklehurst
• Dripstone
• Elong Elong
• Euchareena
• Eumungerie
• Geurie
• Minore
• Mogriguy
• Mumbil
• Stuart Town
• Wongarbon

The rules and restrictions that apply to our area can be found at https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-1...

Please keep up to date with any venues of concern and exposure sites at https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-1...

All restricted areas - NSW

Stay-at-home orders remain in place in the following Local Government Areas – Bathurst Regional, Bourke, City of Broken Hill, Byron, Central Coast, Central Darling, City of Cessnock, Cowra, Dubbo Regional, Eurobodalla, Goulburn, Mulwarre, Hilltops, Kempsey, Kiama, City of Lake Macquarie, City of Lithgow, City of Maitland, Mid-Western Regional, Narromine, City of Newcastle, Port Stephens, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional, City of Shellharbour, City of Shoalhaven, Tweed, Walgett and Wingecarribee, Yass Valley.

Permits for travel to Regional NSW

A permit system for some travel between Greater Sydney and regional NSW will take effect from 12.01am on Saturday 21 August. Permit applications will be made available on the Service NSW website.

People must now only leave home to:​

• Shop within their LGA or within 5km of their home (if crossing into another LGA), for food or other essential goods and services. Only one person per household each day (you may take a dependent person with you if that person cannot be left at home on their own). Browsing is not allowed​.
• Seek medical care, for an emergency or for compassionate needs (including COVID-19 testing or getting vaccinated)​.
• Exercise outdoors with one other person within their local government area or within 5km of home​ (if crossing into another LGA).
• Go to essential work or education, where people cannot work or study from home.

In addition:​

• Masks are mandatory inside and outside (except when exercising), and fines apply if you don’t wear them. There are limited exceptions, such as where you are in a vehicle with members of your household or your nominated visitor (‘singles bubble’), when exercising and in emergencies. You must always carry a mask with you.​
• It’s important that anyone 18 years and over gets vaccinated as soon as possible. People can book by contacting your local GP, pharmacist or by visiting nsw.gov.au.
• nsw.gov.au is continuously updated in line with the changing situation, so please check the site regularly to ensure you are across any new information.

Some businesses will not be able to open. Importantly, financial support is available. Businesses and individuals can find out if they are eligible by visiting nsw.gov.au or calling Service NSW on 13 77 88. ​

For businesses that can remain open, it is critical to have an up-to-date COVID-19 Safety Plan in place, ensure all customers, staff, delivery drivers and contractors check in and out using electronic check-in systems as required and follow COVID safe behaviours.

How do I self-isolate?

• Self-isolation means you must stay in your home and stay completely separated from everyone else in your home. You should not be in the same room as any other person.
• You cannot leave your home, unless for medical care (including a COVID-19 test),
or in an emergency.
• You cannot allow other people into your home unless they usually live there, or they are entering for medical or emergency purposes.
• Self-isolation is different from stay-at-home orders (lockdown). When you are self-isolating, you are not permitted to leave your home for outdoor exercise, shopping, work or education.

How do I know if I am a close or casual contact?

There are three ways to know if you are a close or casual contact:

• Someone in your home or who you have been near gets COVID-19.
• You get a text or phone call from NSW Health telling you that you are a close or casual contact.
• You see from the website that you have been to a close or casual contact place on the day and time listed.

How do I know if I’m a secondary close contact?

NSW Health asks close contacts to tell the people they have been close to in the last two days to get a COVID-19 test and self-isolate until they have a test result.
You are a secondary close contact if you have been close to someone since they were exposed to COVID-19. This includes anyone who:

• Lives in the same home as a close contact of a person with COVID-19.
• Has visited the home of a close contact of a person with COVID-19.
• Has been visited in their home by a close contact of a person with COVID-19.
• Has shared a confined space (such as a car) with a friend who is a close contact of a person with COVID-19.

If you think you are a close, secondary or casual contact, it is important you check the detailed factsheets for more information:

• Close contact
• Secondary close contacts
• Casual contact

Stay up to date with COVID-19 case locations by checking the website regularly: www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/nsw-covid-19-case-locations

Council encourage our local community to support one another during this time. As consumers we can all be a part of this by sharing your household spend with our local operations in a sustainable and sensible way and in doing so support local business, local employment and overall local economies through this crisis period.

COVID-19 financial support is available

The NSW community is facing a particularly challenging time, and businesses and many workers are impacted.

The NSW Government is providing support for individuals, sole traders, micro-businesses, small and medium businesses, as well as the creative services industry, and accommodation providers to help at this time. To find out more about support available for businesses, please click here.

For individuals:

• For workers, the COVID-19 Disaster Payment is available for those who have lost eight hours or more of work per week because of stay-at-home orders, movement restrictions, being stood down, losing their job or having hours reduced. Visit the Services Australia website for more information.
• There is also protection from eviction for tenants who have lost 25% or more of their income. Landlords can also claim land tax relief if they reduce the rent of lockdown impacted residential and commercial tenants.

Looking after your mental health during these challenging times is important. There is support available for individuals and businesses who need it. We appreciate this is a difficult time for everyone. We will get through this together.

Test and isolate support payment expanded

The $320 Test and Isolate Support Payment has been expanded to all eligible NSW workers who need to self-isolate and are unable to work while waiting for their coronavirus (COVID-19) test result.

For more information on eligibility or to apply, click here.

FOR THOSE THAT ARE FULLY VACCINATED

From Monday 13 September 2021, people that are fully vaccinated (have received 2 doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccination) are able to gather in groups of up to 5 people for outdoor recreation as long as all those at the gathering aged 16 years and over are fully vaccinated. This includes those that live in the Dubbo Regional Council LGA as it is not an area of concern as defined here.

• You must carry proof of your vaccination
• The 5 person limit on these gatherings does not include children aged 12 years or under.
• Stay within your local government area. If you need to cross into another local government area, you must stay within 5km of your home.

Click here for full details.

PROOF OF COVID-19 VACCINATION

There are several options to receive your ‘proof of COVID-19 vaccination’:

• Download your COVID-19 digital certificate via the Express Plus Medicare mobile app or your Medicare online account through myGov.
  • You can add your COVID-19 digital certificate to your Apple Wallet or Google Pay.
  • Instructions are available on the Services Australia website.
• ​​​​If you can’t get proof online, your vaccination provider can print your immunisation history statement for you.
• Call the Australian Immunisation Register on 1800 653 809 (Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm) and ask for your statement to be sent to you. It can take up to 14 days to arrive in the post.
• If you’re not eligible for Medicare you can call the Australian Immunisation Register and request your certificate be mailed to you or add your COVID-19 certificate to your digital wallet using the Individual Healthcare Identifiers service (IHI service) through myGov.

Our primary concern is the health and safety of our community and visitors. Please be vigilant in personal hygiene, social distancing and stay home if you are feeling unwell. Take care of yourselves and our community’s most vulnerable.

For more information on COVID-19, please visit https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/diseases/Pages/coronavirus.aspx