For the latest COVID-19 advice & information please visit www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19
NEW FREEDOMS FOR VACCINATED FIRST STEP ON STATE ROADMAP OUT OF COVID
- People across NSW who have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will be allowed more freedoms next month after NSW hit the target of six million jabs.
- This is the first step in the roadmap and further freedoms will follow for those who have had the jab when the state hits new vaccination targets of 70 and 80 per cent.
- From 12.01am, Monday, 13 September:
- For those who live outside the LGAs of concern, outdoor gatherings of up to five people (including children, all adults must be vaccinated) will be allowed in a person’s LGA or within 5km of home.
- For those who live in the LGAs of concern, households with all adults vaccinated will be able to gather outdoors for recreation (including picnics) within the existing rules (for one hour only, outside curfew hours and within 5km of home). This is in addition to the one hour allowed for exercise.
- As part of the roadmap when the following targets are hit, freedoms will be as follows:
- 70 per cent full vaccination: a range of family, industry, community and economic restrictions to be lifted for those who are vaccinated.
- 80 per cent full vaccination: further easing of restrictions on industry, community and the economy.
- The government is also investigating trials of certain industries in coming months, as a proof-of-concept measure to prepare the businesses to open up and operate in a COVID-safe way.
NSW FIRST TO MANDATE COVID JABS FOR ALL HEALTH STAFF
- Healthcare workers in NSW will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to help ensure the safety of colleagues and patients in all public and private hospitals.
- Under the Public Health Order, health staff must have a first dose of vaccine by 30 September 2021 and be fully vaccinated by 30 November 2021, or at least have their second appointment booked to continue working.
- Frontline health staff and their families have had priority access to COVID-19 vaccines since the commencement of the Federal Government’s vaccination rollout in February.
- Already in NSW, mandatory vaccinations for frontline health staff are required for contagious diseases including influenza, chicken pox, measles and whooping cough.
- Those who have a medical contraindication will be exempt if a medical practitioner confirms the medical contraindication.
HSC IN NOVEMBER AND ALL STUDENTS TO RETURN TO SCHOOL IN TERM 4
- There will be a staggered return to face-to-face learning from October, HSC exams will be delayed until November and vaccinations for school staff will be mandatory based on the return to school plan released by the NSW Government.
- Students will return to face-to-face learning with NSW Health approved COVID safe settings on school sites in the following order:
- From 25 October – Kindergarten and Year 1
- From 1 November – Year 2, 6 and 11
- From 8 November – Year 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10
- HSC exams will be delayed until 9 November with a revised timetable and guidelines for a COVID-safe HSC to be released by NESA in early September. Importantly, the delay of the HSC exams will not disadvantage NSW students when applying to university.
- Vaccinations for all school staff across all sectors will be mandatory from 8 November. NSW Health will be providing priority vaccinations at Qudos Bank Arena for school staff the week beginning 6 September.
- Early childcare staff will also be able to participate in the priority vaccinations from 6 September. All school and early childcare staff are also encouraged to make use of the GP network to be vaccinated with whatever vaccine is available as soon as possible.
MORE FREE TRAINING OPTIONS DURING LOCKDOWN
- The NSW Government has announced an additional 3000 training places for people across NSW to skill up at home during lockdown.
- An extra 60 short courses are now on offer to study for free including business skills, mental health, marketing, finance and IT skillsets.
- The courses are an expansion of the 10 free skillsets recently announced by TAFE NSW and are targeted at LGAs and suburbs in lockdown.
- Training will be funded through the JobTrainer program, which has already seen more than 120,000 people in NSW skill up since it was announced in October 2020.
- For more information and to see full eligibility, please visit: https://bit.ly/37DYSvq.
$200 MILLION SUPPORT PACKAGE FOR NOT-FOR-PROFITS
- The NSW Government has announced a $200 million support package for the Not-for-Profit (NFP) sector to help organisations faced with the financial impacts of the current restrictions.
- The funding initiative comes on top of the more than $5.1 billion, including $1 billion in Commonwealth support, announced by the Government since the end of June.
- The support package targets those NFPs providing social support and animal welfare with Service NSW and the Department of Communities and Justice to process applications from next month.
- The Social Sector Support Fund will provide grants and direct payments to eligible NFPs and provide a Workforce Surge Payment to support social sector organisations to respond to COVID-19 outbreaks where staff have been furloughed.
- Further details will become available in the coming weeks.
RECORD SUPPORT PACKAGE FOR VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES
- A record emergency relief package of $18.8 million will be delivered by the NSW Government in the latest boost to support vulnerable members of our community during the latest COVID outbreak.
- The package will focus on the 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of concern to give urgent help to those experiencing hardship.
- The $18.8 million package will help grassroots organisations deliver emergency food relief, promote vaccination and testing services, and provide culturally appropriate support and care to diverse communities.
- The package includes a $13 million grants program delivering emergency relief through not-for-profit and multicultural community organisations, as well as local councils. It also includes $4 million for ongoing multicultural communications, including interpreting and translation services, to deliver critical health messages.
- Grants of up to $30,000 for local organisations are now open. Other grant streams as part of the $13 million package will open soon. For more information, see https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/.
SCORE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY THIS SUPER SUNDAY
- Sport Super Sunday is being held at vaccination centres for the twelve LGAs of concern this weekend to help Team NSW beat COVID-19.
- Plenty of appointments are available at Qudos Bank Arena and the NSW Health Vaccination Centre at Sydney Olympic Park and the Vaccination Centre at Macquarie Fields this Sunday, August 29, for all sports lovers.
- Those aged 16 to 39 who live in Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield or Penrith, should make a booking via https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/health-and-wellbeing/covid-19-vaccination-nsw/get-your-covid-19-vaccination-nsw.
- Wear team uniforms, colours, or gear and take a selfie to post on your local club sites with the hash tag #vaccinationchampion.
- If you can’t make it this Sunday, we have other vaccination appointments at our centres over the next two weeks.
NSW PUTS FOOT ON THE GREEN GAS WITH HYDROGEN PLATFORM
- The rollout of the State’s hydrogen hubs is set to be accelerated, with the establishment of a collaboration platform to bring together potential hydrogen producers and users.
- The platform is about connecting sophisticated market players with new and emerging hydrogen users to fuel the development of hydrogen hubs in NSW.
- As part of the Net Zero Industry and Innovation Program, the NSW Government has committed a minimum of $70 million to develop hydrogen hubs in the Hunter and Illawarra regions.
- Stakeholders that submitted a hydrogen-related registration of interest to the Net Zero Industry and Innovation Program will automatically receive an invitation to participate. Other organisations can get involved by contacting the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment’s, Hydrogen and Clean Energy team at hydrogen@planning.nsw.gov.au.