COVID-19 Updates - 10th July, 2020

4:30pm, 10th July, 2020

Public Health Order On Individuals Who Were In Victoria

Member clubs are advised of the enactment of the Public Health Order imposing restrictions on individuals who were recently in Victoria.

The Public Health (COVID-19 Border Control) Order 2020 (the Public Health Order) features the following rules:

An individual (including a NSW resident) who is in NSW, and who was in Victoria in the previous 14 days, must self-isolate for 14 days, unless they have an entry permit exempting them from self-isolation
An individual (except a NSW resident) cannot enter NSW if the person was in Victoria at any time in the 14 days before entering NSW, unless they have an entry permit exempting them from self-isolation
A resident of Victoria, who lives in a border community, may apply for an entry permit to travel within the border community, in the ordinary course of their work or daily life
Residents of Victoria – and other Australian residents who were in Victoria in the previous 14 days – may be granted a permit to enter NSW based on various other reasons, such as if they provide critical services (these include mining, agriculture, construction, energy or manufacturing).

The Public Health Order does not specify the names of the areas which are “border communities”, instead defining the term as follows:

Border community means a community that a reasonable person would consider to be a community located at or near the border.

Service NSW has established a dedicated webpage where people can apply for permits, and which lists the various grounds for permit applications (see here).

The current Public Health Order has applied from midnight on the night of Tuesday 7 July 2020.

4:30pm, 10th July, 2020

Investigation into the Golden Sheaf Hotel

Member clubs are advised of an investigation by the NSW Police and Liquor & Gaming NSW into breaches of social distancing at the Golden Sheaf Hotel.

The investigation was announced following the emergence of an image which showed crowds of individuals failing to socially distance in a queue outside the Golden Sheaf Hotel.

The investigation follows comments by senior ministers in the NSW Government – including the Premier, Gladys Berejiklian – expressing concern about compliance by the restaurant and café sector.

“[We are] concerned with the lack of compliance in NSW in some hospitality venues, in particular cafés and restaurants,” said the Premier earlier this week.

"We will be stepping up compliance in relation to businesses across the state.”

Suspected COVID-19 transmission at the Crossroads Hotel

This afternoon, NSW Minister for Health, Brad Hazzard, announced that two confirmed cases of COVID-19 were both present last Saturday night at the Crossroads Hotel in Casula.

NSW Health has directed the hotel to close and to provide details of the patrons who visited the hotel.

During the press conference, the Minister for Health outlined the NSW Government’s expectations for licensed venues.

“You would recall that the Government has made very, very clear rules for pubs and clubs and cafes to keep the names of the people that visit, so if the hotel has complied in the way that we would hope, then we will have access to those names,” Mr Hazzard said.

The investigation into the Golden Sheaf Hotel, and response to the suspected transmission at the Crossroads Hotel, illustrate the importance of complying with the Public Health Orders.

Member clubs are once again reminded that they must adhere to the Public Health Order and CovidSAFE standards. Failing to comply with the standards may endanger members of the community and lead to significant penalties and reputational damage.

Changes to the Border Control Order

Member clubs are advised of impending amendments to the Public Health Order which imposes closures along the NSW-Victoria border and requires individuals entering NSW to self-isolate if they were previously in Victoria.