The good news as you wake up this morning, there are no new venues of concern for Lismore as there have been over the past few days.

Byron Bay and Kingscliff are not in our LGA but they maybe in your area of concern if you live outside of Lismore or have family and friends that have visited the area recently and maybe exposed to COVID through bring a close or casual contact in a venue of concern.

Read more Covid news: Covid case visits Wardell and Cabbage Tree Island

and: BREAKING NEWS: Lismore to come out of lockdown tonight

Northern NSW Local Health District has been notified of a number of new venues of concern associated with yesterday's confirmed case of COVID-19 in the region.

Anyone who attended the following venue at the times listed is a close contact and must get tested and isolate for 14 days since they were there, regardless of the result. NSW Health sends a text message to people who have checked in at close-contact venues with further information.

Anyone who attended the following venues at the times listed are considered a casual contact and must get tested and isolate until they get a negative result.



If you are directed to get tested for COVID-19 or self-isolate at any time, you must follow the rules given to you by Health staff, whether or not the venue or exposure setting is listed on the NSW Health website.

Please continue to check this page regularly, as the list of venues of concern and relevant health advice are being updated as new cases emerge and investigations continue.

Testing Numbers and Sewage detections

To the week ending 18 September, there were more than 8,000 COVID-19 tests reported among residents of the Northern NSW Local Health District, compared to 4,976 tests the previous week. The majority of these were from the Lismore LGA due to the two recent COVID cases.

To detect any further potential COVID-19 cases in these areas, NNSW LHD is calling on the community to come forward for testing in large numbers.

Fragments of the COVID-19 virus was again detected in the Ballina and Wardell sewage treatment plants, from samples taken on 19 September. This is the second detection in recent days for these sites.

You are urged come forward for testing if you have even mild cold-like symptoms and isolate until a negative result is received.

Extra testing clinics are open this week across the region:

•   QML Drive through testing clinic - TAFE NSW Kingscliff, 806 Cudgen Road, open from 9am to 4pm

•   QML Drive through testing clinic - Cavanbah Sports Ground, Ewingsdale Road, Byron Bay, open from 9am-4pm

•   Cabbage Tree Island Health Post, open from 10am – 3pm

There are more than 500 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW. Find a clinic at COVID-19 testing clinics or contact your GP.

Stay-at-home orders

Stay-at-home orders have now been introduced for the Byron Shire and Tweed Local Government Areas (LGAs) from 5pm today for seven days due to an increased COVID-19 public health risk.

These stay-at-home orders also apply to anyone who has been in an affected LGA since the following dates:

•               Byron LGA - 18 September

•               Tweed LGA - 18 September

Everyone in the affected LGAs must stay at home unless it is for an essential reason, which includes shopping for food, medical care, getting vaccinated, compassionate needs, exercise and work or tertiary education if you can’t work or study at home.

People who are fully vaccinated can attend an outdoor gathering of up to five people for exercise or outdoor recreation if all of those aged 16 or older are fully vaccinated.

We are reminding the community that anyone who has been in an area that has stay at home restrictions is required to abide by the stay at home restrictions even after they leave that area.

More information about the current restrictions for various parts of NSW is available here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/rules