UPDATED ROADMAP ANOTHER BOOST FOR BUSINESS

The region’s peak business organisation, Business Illawarra, says the NSW government’s decision to further relax restrictions, together with the commencement of a booster rollout program, provides a further shot of confidence for local businesses as the busy summer season commences next week.

“Our local businesses and the wider community should be congratulated, because high levels of compliance and vaccinations have allowed the government to ease restrictions, taking us closer to normal trading conditions and removing further restrictions on businesses,” said Business Illawarra executive Director Adam Zarth.

“We’re heading into what we expect will be a very busy summer trading season ahead of Christmas, and the Black Friday sales starting today will see our shopping centres filling up with bargain-hunters keen to return to the immediacy and tangible nature of the bricks-and-mortar retail experience.”

“Businesses have managed their obligations to ensure mask wearing, monitor density limits and proof of vaccination since reopening commenced, and this further relaxation of restrictions means they can get back to concentrating on their core business of serving customers.”

“With limited staff due to workforce shortages, businesses in retail and hospitality particularly will be grateful to be dedicate fewer resources to policing these requirements under the health orders.”

The adjustments to previous settings that are scheduled to become effective at a 95% vaccination rate (or 15 December) include:

• Masks only being required to be worn on public transport, on planes, at airports and by front of house hospitality staff who are unvaccinated;
• No density limits applying in premises;
• COVID safety plans being optional for businesses and supported by SafeWork NSW
• QR check-ins only being required at high-risk venues including hospitals, aged and disability care facilities, gyms, places of worship, funerals or memorial services, personal services businesses and limited hospitality settings; and
• Proof of vaccination no longer being required for businesses however they can still ask for proof at their own discretion.

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