MASS VACCINATION ROLLOUT BOOST
- The NSW Government will establish two new mass vaccination centres, plus a large clinic in the heart of the city in preparation for a larger supply of Pfizer vaccines, boosting the NSW contribution to the Federal Government’s vaccine rollout.
- The new sites add to the NSW Health 100 vaccination clinics and outreach locations across the state.
- The NSW Health vaccination sites complement the GP Network, which has and will continue to deliver the majority of COVID-19 vaccines across NSW.
- Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the NSW Government is ready and willing to support getting vaccine doses out as quickly and as safely as possible.
- One of the new mass vaccination centres will be established in South West Sydney at an old Coles building in Macquarie Fields, the other will be in the Illawarra in a former David Jones building on Crown Street in Wollongong – together they will deliver tens of thousands of additional jabs each
NSW PHARMACIES TO JOIN VACCINE ROLLOUT
- Twenty-two pharmacies across regional and rural NSW will begin administering the AstraZeneca jab as part of a pilot program, in another boost to the vaccine rollout.
- The first pharmacies to administer the COVID-19 vaccine in NSW will be available from mid-July for people 60 and over and are located where access to a GP or vaccine clinic is more limited due to geography.
- It is expected additional pharmacies will join the COVID-19 vaccination program in the future. This also paves the way for pharmacies to further assist NSW in supporting the Commonwealth Government’s rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.
MAJOR NEW COVID-19 SUPPORT PACKAGE TO HELP TENS OF THOUSANDS OF BUSINESSES ACROSS NSW
- The NSW Government announced a major new grants package and changes to the Dine & Discover program to help tens of thousands of small businesses and people across NSW impacted by the current COVID-19 restrictions.
- The package includes grants of between $5,000 and $10,000 for small businesses, payroll tax deferrals for all employers, an extension of the Dine & Discover program to 31 August and the ability for people to use Dine & Discover vouchers for takeaway delivered directly to their home by the venue itself.
- More information on the small business support grants and changes to the Dine & Discover program is available shortly on the Service NSW website.
COVID CHECK-IN MANDATE EXPANDED
- Use of the Service NSW QR code will be mandatory at all workplaces and retail businesses from Monday 12 July.
- Minister for Digital and Customer Service Victor Dominello said expanding the mandate would give NSW Health contact tracers real-time access to QR code data from a greater number of venues including supermarkets, retail stores, gyms and offices.
- Businesses who need to register for the NSW Government QR code can find the application form and more information at https://www.nsw.gov.au/register-your-business-as-covid-safe
- For visitors without a digital device, other check-in forms must be available.
DO NOT TRAVEL WITHOUT A VALID EXCUSE DURING LOCKDOWN
- Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott is reminding the community that police officers will be out in full force enforcing the Public Health Orders to ensure citizens, including our most vulnerable, are protected against the evolving Delta variant of COVID-19.
- Anyone who has information regarding individuals or businesses in contravention of a COVID-19 related direction is urged to contact Crime Stoppers (http://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au).
- The latest Public Health Orders and related information can be accessed here.
OVERSEAS AGRICULTURAL WORKERS HOTEL QUARANTINE SUBSIDY EXTENDED
- The NSW Government will extend a subsidy for half the quarantine costs of overseas agricultural workers into the 2021/22 financial year, Minister for Agriculture Adam Marshall announced.
- Mr Marshall said workers entering the country under the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) or Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) were eligible for a 50 per cent subsidy of the cost of quarantine.
- Mandatory hotel quarantine remains a critical part of the state’s COVID defence and all international arrivals are required to enter hotel quarantine in accordance with the Public Health Orders.
- All seasonal workers approved to quarantine in NSW are eligible for the subsidy, provided the majority of their work is undertaken in NSW.