NSW recorded zero new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night, the 46th consecutive day without a locally acquired case. There were four new cases in returning overseas travellers, bringing the total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic to 5,004. More information here.

The Department of Health has set up an online tool for Australians to check when they will become eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Visit the Vaccine Eligibility Checker here to determine what phase of the vaccine rollout you are part of, as well as an approximate timeline for your vaccination.

The Federal Government has announced the human biosecurity emergency period under the Biosecurity Act 2015 (Cth) , which has been in place since 17 March 2020, will be extended by an additional three months until 17 June 2021. The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) advised that the COVID-19 situation overseas continues to pose an unacceptable public health risk to Australia, including the emergence of more highly transmissible variants. These powers have been used on a limited basis on expert medical advice. This will extend existing emergency determinations including: restrictions on outbound international travel for Australians, pre-departure testing and mask wearing for international flights; restrictions on the entry of cruise vessels within Australian territory; and restrictions on trade of retail outlets at international airports. These restrictions can be amended or repealed if no longer needed. More details here.

The rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine is set to begin in South Australia tomorrow after the first 300,000 doses landed in Sydney last weekend. The vaccine, which has already been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, is the second COVID-19 vaccine to land in Australia after Pfizer’s jab began arriving earlier in February. Australia expects to receive some 1.2m doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from its production centres in Europe before its Australian partner company CSL begins producing 50m doses of the vaccine domestically from late March. NSW is expected to receive 80,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine within coming days. More details here.

The NSW Government’s Service NSW app has been downloaded more than four million times, approximately 75 per cent of NSW’s adult population. The app has been used by patrons across the state for more than 117 million COVID Safe check-ins. More than 80,000 businesses across the state are also actively using the check-in feature to register their customers or clients. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the technology has been a “game changer” for businesses and customers during the pandemic, while keeping the community safe. Read more here.

As of 12 February 2021, all welcome ceremonies for newly admitted lawyers will be 'live streamed' to the Supreme Court's YouTube Channel. In addition to the live stream feature, all ceremonies will be available in the same location (see 'Playlists') for viewing after the event. The ceremonies themselves are broadcast from the Banco Courtroom, which is used for all formal ceremonies held at the Supreme Court.

Payroll jobs in mid-February were 0.5 per cent lower than a year earlier, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS]. All states and territories, other than Victoria and Western Australia, saw an increase in payroll jobs in the fortnight to 13 February. The largest increase was in the Northern Territory (up 1.4 per cent). Payroll jobs decreased by 0.4 per cent in both Victoria and Western Australia, with the latter affected by lockdown restrictions in the first week of February. Read comments from the ABS’s Head of Labour Statistics here.

The proportion of businesses facing reduced cash flow and lower demand has reduced but challenges still remain, according to results released from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). The latest Business Conditions and Sentiments Survey showed that in February, 30 per cent of businesses were impacted by reduced cash flow and 28 per cent by reduced demand. This compares to 72 per cent and 69 per cent in April 2020, when businesses were last asked about these impacts. Two in five (41 per cent) businesses reported being impacted by COVID-19 restrictions in February. This compares to 53 per cent in April 2020. Read more from the ABS here.

The NSW Government’s Dine and Discover program has been expanded to the Sydney CBD, Northern Beaches and Bega Valley. Every NSW resident aged 18 and over will soon be eligible for four $25 vouchers worth $100 in total, to spend in participating businesses.
Dine & Discover NSW vouchers will be divided into two categories: two $25 vouchers to be used for eating in at restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs and clubs from Monday to Thursday, excluding public holidays, and two $25 vouchers to be used for entertainment and recreation, including cultural institutions, live music, and arts venues, available 7 days a week, excluding public holidays. The pilot is already underway in The Rocks precinct and Broken Hill. More information available here.