Overview
When Monday morning rolls around, basking in your weekend memories is part and parcel of getting through the day. But, if you just spent your past few days off in Byron Bay, you'll need to take notice of some just-issued health advice related to Brisbane's latest local COVID-19 cases.
Up north, the Queensland city is heading into a three-day lockdown tonight, at 5pm on Monday, March 29, in response to its new cases of community transmission. Of concern for folks in New South Wales: two of the new cases, as confirmed today, spent time in Byron Bay on the weekend.
So, NSW Health now requires anyone who visited specific venues at set dates and times to get tested for COVID-19 immediately, and then to self-isolate for 14 days. This applies to people who were at the Byron Beach Hotel on Bay Street from 7–9pm on Friday, March 26 — and to anyone at The Farm Byron Bay from 8.45–10.30am on Sunday, March 28.
It also covers anyone at the Suffolk Beachfront Holiday Park's women's communal toilets on Friday, March 26 from 6–6.30pm and 9.10–9.30pm, and on Saturday, March 27 from 3.20–3.50pm. Mokha Café is on the list as well, also on Saturday, March 27, from 10.30–11.30am.
And, the full list includes six other sites visited on Saturday, March 27 that, if you were there, you'll need to get tested and self-isolate until you get a negative result. They include Ghanda Clothing (from 12–12.15pm), Tiger Lily (12.25–12.30pm), Black Sheep (12.30–12.40pm), Quiksilver (12.40–12.45pm), Suffolk Bakery (2.45–3.15pm) and Park Hotel Bottle Shop (7.30–7.45pm).
Obviously, this covers both folks who live in the Byron Bay area and anyone who was there just visiting on the weekend. Either way, if you went to either of the above places at those dates and times, you must get tested, go into quarantine, monitor for any COVID-19 symptoms and get retested if any arise — and stay in self-isolation for the whole fortnight even if you receive a negative result.
NSW Health is also asking everyone else in the area — or those who were there over the weekend — to monitor for symptoms and get tested if any eventuate. That covers even the mildest of COVID-19 symptoms, as we've all heard plenty of times now.
In Byron, two new clinics have been set up, and Byron Central Hospital will be increasing its operating hours.
And, if you have Easter plans at Bluesfest, it's still proceeding as planned at this stage — we'll update you if anything changes.
For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.