NSW government takes precautionary steps in response to Omicron variant

28/11/2021

(See Translation in Arabic Section

Sydney - M E Times Int'l: The NSW Government has taken precautionary steps in relation to quarantine arrangements for overseas arrivals following the introduction of additional national border security measures by the Australian Government.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the new measures would help keep people safe as we work through this latest development with COVID.  

“Authorities around the world are still investigating the risk posed by this new variant,” Mr Perrottet said.

“As a result the NSW Government will continue to put community safety first by taking these precautionary but important steps until more information becomes available.”

The new measures, which will take effect at midnight tonight, are:

•         In line with Commonwealth measures, all travellers arriving in NSW who have been in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Malawi, and the Seychelles during the 14 day period before their arrival in NSW must enter hotel quarantine for 14 days, irrespective of their vaccination status;

•         All travellers who have been in any other overseas country during the 14 day period before their arrival in NSW must travel directly to their place of residence or accommodation and isolate for 72 hours, pending further health advice;

•         All flight crew who have been overseas during the 14-day period before their arrival in NSW must travel directly to their place of residence or accommodation and isolate for 14 days or until their departure on another flight that leaves Australia, consistent with the current rules for unvaccinated flight crew;

•         Anyone who has already arrived in NSW who has been in any of the nine African countries within the previous 14 days must immediately get tested and isolate for 14 days, and call NSW Health on 1800 943 553;

•         All unvaccinated travellers from any overseas country will continue to enter hotel quarantine.

Minister for Health Brad Hazzard said no cases of the Omicron variant have been identified in NSW to date, but urged everyone to stay vigilant.

“I remind the community that vaccination, social distancing and hand hygiene remain our best defence against COVID,” Mr Hazzard said.

Public health advice on quarantine arrangements and isolation requirements will be provided as soon as new information emerges on the risk posed by the new variant and the extent of its international transmission.

PUBLIC HEALTH ALERT: Cases identified on International flight

Sydney: NSW Health can confirm urgent genomic testing is underway after passengers who arrived in Sydney from southern Africa tonight have tested positive for COVID-19.

Fourteen passengers who arrived in Sydney are from one of the nine southern African countries of South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Malawi, and the Seychelles.

Testing on arrival has identified two of these passengers have COVID-19, and urgent genomic sequencing is underway to determine if they have been infected by the new Omicron B.1.1.529 variant of concern.

The passengers arrived on Qatar Airways QR908, Doha to Sydney, which arrived around 7pm, Saturday November 27.

These passengers have been transported to the Special Health Accommodation where they will undertake 14 days of quarantine.

Corrective Services staff honoured for selfless dedication

Sydney: Corrective Services staff have who have died while dedicating their lives to protecting the community have been honoured in CSNSW Remembrance Day services across the state on Friday

Minister for Counter Terrorism and Corrections Anthony Roberts said the annual event also marked the lives of staff who had died from other causes while still employed, and those who had passed away after retiring.

“We unite to reflect on the lives of those who have worked relentlessly to keep us safe,” Mr Roberts said. “We pause to remember the tragic loss of our colleagues, including those who paid the ultimate sacrifice while on duty.”

Flags flew at half-mast at the state’s 35 prisons and the COVID-safe main service will be streamed live from the Brush Farm Corrective Services Academy cenotaph in Sydney.

Around 150 motorcyclists were also due to participate in the third CSNSW Remembrance Day Ride, from the Academy to Shortland Correctional Centre in Cessnock.

Corrective Services NSW Acting Commissioner Kevin Corcoran said it was “important everyone has the opportunity to honour our colleagues, whether they’re part of a small regional community corrections office or a major metropolitan correctional centre.”

“My thoughts are with every correctional officer past and present, and their loves ones on what is a very emotive but powerful day for all,” Mr Corcoran said.

The twelve officers who died in the line of duty over the past 179 years are:

•       Henry Kingsmill Abbott at Parramatta in 1842;

•       Thomas Craig at Berrima in 1862;

•       John Carroll at Braidwood in 1867;

•       George Spinks at Windsor in 1869;

•       John Sutherland Brown at Cootamundra in 1908;

•       Alan Cooper at Bathurst in 1958;

•       Albert Hedges at Berrima in 1959;

•       Cecil Mills at Emu Plains in 1959;

•       Willy Karl Faber at Parramatta in 1978;

•       John Colin Mewburn at Long Bay in 1979;

•       Geoffrey Pearce OAM in 1997; and

•       Wayne Harold Smith in 2007.

NSW recorded 185 new cases of COVID-19

Sydney: Following further investigation, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 185 new cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours.

The total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic is 81,166.

There are currently 165 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 24 people in intensive care, 9 of whom require ventilation.

There were 54,150 COVID-19 tests reported to 8pm last night, compared with the previous day’s total of 62,044.

Across NSW, 94.5 per cent of people aged 16 and over have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and 92.4 per cent are fully vaccinated.

The total number of vaccines administered in NSW is now 12,854,469 with 4,147,544 doses administered by NSW Health to 8pm last night.

Testing on arrival has confirmed two passengers who arrived in Sydney from southern Africa on Saturday November 27, are positive for COVID-19. Urgent genomic sequencing is underway to determine if they have been infected by the new Omicron B.1.1.529 variant of concern. Results are expected this evening.

The passengers arrived on Qatar Airways QR908, Doha to Sydney, which landed around 7pm, Saturday November 27.

Fourteen passengers who arrived onboard this Qatar Airways flight are from one of the nine southern African countries of South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Eswatini, Malawi, and the Seychelles.

NSW Health encourages everyone who is eligible to book into a NSW Health vaccination clinic or another provider without delay through the COVID-19 vaccine clinic finder.

If you have just returned from overseas you must comply with the NSW Health Guidelines, including requirements relating to testing and restrictions on attending certain high-risk premises.

You must have a COVID-19 PCR test within 24 hours of arriving and also on or after day seven. You are not required to isolate while waiting for your results, unless you have symptoms.

NSW Health also encourages people planning to host overseas guests to make sure they are fully vaccinated before the guests arrive. Please remind guests of the testing requirements, to watch out for symptoms and support guests to get tested and avoid high risk locations.

If you are directed to get tested for COVID 19 or self-isolate at any time, you must follow the self-isolation rules.

If you have any COVID-19 symptoms, no matter how mild, get tested immediately and self-isolate until you receive a negative test result.

There are more than 500 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW, many of which are open seven days a week. To find your nearest clinic visit COVID-19 clinics or contact your GP.

Surf Clubs ride $16 million funding wave

Sydney: Applications are now open for a multi-million dollar funding boost for the state’s Surf Life Saving Clubs to ensure our iconic volunteers continue their vital work keeping people safe at the beach.

Minister for Sport Natalie Ward said the Surf Club Facility Program, worth $16 million over four years, will build, upgrade and restore surf life saving facilities.

“We have nearly 130 Surf Life Saving Clubs here in NSW which are the hub of our coastal communities,” Mrs Ward said.

“This support will allow significant upgrades, so the 75,000 club members across the state who do such important work volunteering at our beaches can focus on saving lives.”

The NSW Government has extended the Program to ensure volunteer lifesavers continue their world-class service with up to $4 million available in this round for projects including first aid rooms, education rooms and gyms.

Twenty-nine Surf Life Saving Clubs shared in $3.5 million funding in 2020/21.

They included Redhead Surf Life Saving Club at Lake Macquarie which received $302,400 for upgrades to its observation area, radio room and first aid room. Elouera Surf Life Saving Club also received $302,500 and Thirroul Surf Life Saving club was the recipient of $285,000.

Surf Life Saving NSW President George Shales OAM said safe, accessible and secure rescue facilities across NSW remain a top priority.

“Last year our volunteer surf lifesavers performed over 3,000 rescues, 143,000 preventative actions and 7,000 first aid treatments. The Surf Club Facility Program will improve the ongoing important community service our lifesavers deliver,” Mr Shales said.

Applications for this round of grants close on 21 January 2022. Up to $500,000 is available for each project. For more details, see: https://sport.nsw.gov.au/clubs/grants/SCFP.

COVID-19 testing, tracing, cleaning restrictions for NSW school due to ease

Sydney: Close contacts of COVID cases at schools and outside school hours care services will no longer need to isolate due to changes announced by the NSW Government.

The changes were made following recent Doherty Institute and NSW Health advice, and will take effect from Monday, November 29.

Students who are close contacts of a positive case will be required to get a PCR test as soon as possible after being notified of exposure. If the PCR test is negative, the student may return to school immediately, so long as they provide negative Rapid Antigen Home Test (RAHT) results for the next seven consecutive days.

Schools will no longer need to close while contact tracing occurs due to successful cohorting of year groups on school sites with one exception: if there are multiple cases at a school or complex settings in place.

NSW Health has also advised that schools do not need to close for deep environmental cleans as the enhanced cleaning in place at schools is sufficient.

Mask settings remain the same, meaning they are required for all staff and high school students, and are recommended for primary school students.

Musical instruments that rely on breath and singing and chanting allowed to go ahead outdoors.

TAFE English courses work wonders for migrants in NSW

Sydney: TAFE NSW helps migrants transition to life in Australia with vocationally orientated courses in English that sets them up for career success.   

Cronulla local Luciana Menezes Santos arrived in Australia from Brazil and began working part-time as a retail assistant and babysitter.  

“After trying for quite some time to gain full-time employment, I knew I needed to try something different. I decided to study at TAFE NSW to improve my English language and interview skills and gain confidence,” Luciana said.  

Luciana enrolled in the Certificate III in Spoken and Written English through the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) at TAFE NSW where she gained the skills and confidence to create an excellent resume.   

AMEP provides free classes to help migrants and humanitarian entrants with low English levels to improve their English skills and settle into Australia.

After completing the course, Luciana gained a customer service and sales position where she uses a high level of English language proficiency.

The job-seeking component of the Certificate III course sets students up with a solid foundation to pursue further education or gain employment.  

All students regularly receive feedback on grammar and pronunciation during the lessons and there is always discussion about settlement issues and cultural difficulties as they arise.

To learn more about AMEP at TAFE NSW, call 1800 114 707 or email [email protected] and to find out more about the Certificate in Spoken and Written English visit www.tafensw.edu.au or call 131 601.

New Corrections NSW Legacy program to support families of fallen officers

Sydney: Corrective Services NSW (CSNSW) staff are dedicated to protecting others and now their families will also be cared for, thanks to a new Corrections Legacy program.

Minister for Counter Terrorism and Corrections Anthony Roberts said planning is well underway to establish the initiative, which will support family of staff members who have died.

“Our staff are generous in helping colleagues and local communities when in need but it’s our turn to ensure their loves ones are cared for through their hardships.

“I was deeply moved by conversations with family of our staff, who voiced their need for a legacy program so I am extremely proud to announce this initiative is now underway,” Mr Roberts said.

It aims to reflect arrangements such as NSW Police Legacy, a charity which supports families of fallen officers through meaningful benefits, services and advocacy.

CSNSW will now spend the next 12 months developing the program.

Visit our website for more information on wellbeing support for staff.

NSW residents to dine and discover again with extra vouchers

Sydney: NSW residents are now eligible for another two $25 Dine & Discover vouchers.

Treasurer Matt Kean said new applicants would receive three Dine NSW and three Discover NSW vouchers, while existing customers will receive one of each.

“The NSW Government’s $250 million expansion of Dine & Discover, announced as part of our $2.8 million economic recovery package, will help local businesses grow and thrive this summer,” Mr Kean said.  

Minister for Digital and Customer Service Victor Dominello said accessing the new vouchers has been simplified with the additional vouchers appearing automatically in the Service NSW app, via SMS or email for existing digital customers.

Current digital customers do not need to reapply to receive the extra vouchers.

Residents aged 18 and over who don’t have access to digital vouchers can use a new call and collect delivery method. All they need do is call Service NSW on 13 77 88 from December 3, nominate their nearest Service Centre and in three business days they can collect their paper vouchers. 

The vouchers can be used seven days a week, including public holidays, and are valid to June 30, 2022.

More information: nsw.gov.au/covid-19/business/financial-support/dine-discover-nsw

Vision available to download: https://vimeo.com/648446242/a373713f55

NSW Parliament re-opens its doors to public as COVID restrictions eased

Sydney: NSW Parliament House will reopen to the public from Monday, November 29, with school and public tours, a powerful photojournalism exhibition and dining experiences to entice visitors.

President of the NSW Legislative Council, Matthew Mason-Cox said reopening was an important step forward after a lengthy closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Parliament House is a building for the people of NSW. It will be fantastic to see it buzzing again as visitors enjoy the popular activities once again on offer,” said Mr Mason-Cox.

“We have stringent COVID-safety measures in place, including regular cleaning of the public areas of building. We look forward to welcoming everybody back in a COVID-safe manner.”

Public tours of Parliament House are running daily at 10am, 10:45am, 1:45pm and 2:30pm for the duration of the school holidays. Bookings are not required, but will be capped at 20 people.

The Parliament’s civics learning program for school groups, including visits to the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council chambers, will be available again from January. Teachers can book by visiting the NSW Parliament education website.

Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Jonathan O’Dea was excited to open Parliament House again for regular visitors, particularly school and community interest groups.

Sydney set for return of International Tennis

Sydney: International tennis stars are set to return to Sydney, with confirmation the ATP Cup and the new, one-off Sydney Tennis Classic will go ahead in January.

Minister for Tourism Stuart Ayres welcomed the announcement by Tennis Australia that the tournaments will be held from 1-9 January 2022 and 9-15 January 2022 respectively, helping reinvigorate the NSW visitor economy.

“Events like these are essential as we help the tourism and major events sectors recover from the pandemic, driving overnight visitation and showcasing Sydney and NSW to a global television audience across more than 180 countries,” Mr Ayres said.

“This adds to an exciting calendar of sport events including the Matildas v USA series and the SCG Pink Test.”

The 16-team ATP Cup will be played across two venues at Ken Rosewall Arena and Qudos Bank Arena at Sydney Olympic Park, with the top ranked men representing their nations. This will be followed by the new Sydney Tennis Classic at Ken Rosewall Arena, featuring a star-studded line up of women and men.

Minister for Sport Natalie Ward said both tournaments gave fans more major events to look forward to, as NSW continues to welcome the return of international sport.

“NSW has done a fantastic job to ensure we can deliver world-class events like the ATP Cup and Sydney Tennis Classic,” Mrs Ward said.

“With the world’s top stars set to compete, I can’t wait to see the return of international tennis to Sydney this summer.”