While many NSW businesses started the long road back from lockdown on Monday, a new era also started for businesses in regional NSW that have been out of lockdown.
“In Regional NSW, we have been lucky enough to have been open for the past few weeks while other areas in the state have been in lockdown,” said President of the Parkes Chamber of Commerce Geoff Rice.
“However, from Monday our businesses had to align with the rest of NSW as the state reopened. This means that non-essential retail businesses will need to ensure that customers are double vaccinated, and staff members have had at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination and are fully vaccinated by 1st November.”
The NSW Government is updating the Service NSW app to link the digital COVID-19 vaccination certification in the coming weeks. “In the meantime, you will need to manually check for not only the QR code check-in, but also for the customer’s COVID-19 proof of vaccination,” said Geoff.
“It’s been such a difficult time for businesses across the state. The Chamber of Commerce will continue to provide support and guidance to our local business community where we can to ensure that we collectively remain committed to ensuring the safety of our community, whilst safeguarding the strength and resilience of our businesses.”
Mayor of Parkes Shire Ken Keith OAM said: “We understand this is a challenging time for everyone, but we ask our community to practice kindness and patience as our businesses are only following the direction of the NSW Government.”
For businesses who need advice or support regarding these changes, contact the NSW Business Chamber, Services NSW or visit www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/businesses-and-employment/covid-safe-business.