NSW recorded 262 locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night from 106,954 tests. Sadly, five deaths were recorded in that same time period. 43 cases were infectious in the community and the isolation status of 80 cases remains under investigation. Check the latest confirmed exposure venues here. This information is being updated as cases are confirmed and locations are verified. More information on today’s statistics here.

The Hunter and Upper Hunter regions of NSW will enter a snap one-week lockdown as of 5pm today (Thursday 5 August) following confirmation of several positive cases of COVID-19 in the area. The affected Local Government Areas are Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Cessnock, Dungog, Singleton and Muswellbrook. The lockdown restrictions are expected to end at midnight on 12 August. The lockdown conditions will be the same as the lockdown affecting Greater Sydney and its surrounds.
 
People will only be able to leave home for these reasons:

• Shopping for food or other essential goods and services;
• Medical care or compassionate needs (including to get a COVID-19 vaccine)
• Exercise outdoors in groups of 10 or fewer;
• Essential work, or education, where you cannot work or study from home. 

More information available here.

The Chief Magistrate has amended Memo 19 to include the Hunter Local Courts affect by the lockdown from 5.00pm tonight until 12 August 2021: Belmont, Cessnock, Dungog, Kurri Kurri, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Raymond Terrace, Singleton and Toronto.

In view of the Public Health Order announced today for the Hunter region, the commencement of new jury trials in the Newcastle District Court will be temporarily suspended from Thursday 5 August 2021 until 12.01am Friday 13 August 2021. The current jury trial will continue. Other than the jury trial, there will be no personal appearances in the Court during the above period. Practitioners should contact the Court for AVL appearance details and listing confirmation.

The NSW Government has introduced measures to provide relief to commercial and residential landowners, who provide a reduction in rent to a tenant who is experiencing financial distress as a result of COVID-19. The 2021 land tax COVID-19 relief is intended to reduce a landowner’s land tax payable for 2021, by up to 100 per cent, for a taxable parcel of land where rent relief has been given to the tenant who occupies that land. More information about the scheme is available at Revenue NSW here.

The NSW Government has also introduced a Residential Tenancy Support Payment for properties tenanted in NSW. A property is only able to receive either the 2021 land tax COVID-19 relief or the Residential Tenancy Support Payment. More information about this support payment is available via NSW Fair Trading here.

Pharmacies are now administering the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to people aged 18 and over living in communities where access to a GP or vaccine clinic is limited. The list of participating pharmacies is here. If a location near you is not on the list, visit the eligibility checker again in a week or two as more pharmacies are added. If you have any questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, talk to your doctor first. 

The National COVID Vaccine Taskforce has released its plan to drive up vaccination rates and help Australia reach its fully vaccinated target of 80 per cent of the adult population. The full Plan can be read here.