Less than a week into our newfound freedoms, stay-at-home orders again come into place in the Lismore Local Government Area (LGA), for seven days from 6pm today.

The Lismore App looks at what we might expect and what the current rules are for Lismore - particularly for travel - as the lockdown affects only the Lismore LGA - not the surrounding LGAs of Richmond Valley, Ballina, Byron and Tweed Shire. 

Read more news: Lockdown leaves caravan park and travel confusion

Read more news: BREAKING NEWS: Lismore to go into lockdown from tonight

The lockdown has been triggered by a Covid positive person who returned to Lismore LGA and stay-at-home orders apply to anyone who has been in Lismore since September 7.

Today, NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro said the seven day lockdown was only a start. We could expect the lockdown to be extended longer, depending on what happens with community transmission rates.

Venues of concern and misinformation

Over the coming days, NSW Health is expected to release more Lismore venues of concern that were visited by the Covid case.

Today, one group page on social media was reported to have said that Silly Solly’s - one of the two current Lismore venues of concern - was no longer listed as a concern.

NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro today said this was untrue - and it was a timely reminder for people to look to the NSW Health website as their trusted source of information, not social media.

Read more: Covid case visits local op shop - authorities release Lismore venues of concern

Travel rules

With at least seven days of lockdown ahead, what are we allowed to do during this period, especially if you live outside Lismore LGA, but work in Lismore?

If you live in Lismore LGA, you 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. 

Mr Barilaro said anyone travelling from another LGA (such as from Ballina or Casino) to Lismore, will be subject to the same seven-day, stay-at-home orders as apply to Lismore residents, upon their return home. 

Anyone who needs to enter Lismore LGA for work will need to register for travel. You do not need to register your travel to provide an emergency service. 

Rules apply to anyone who does get a permit to enter a lockdown area - including mandatory Covid testing.

School holidays

With school holidays coming up, Mr Barilaro’s advice to those who live outside the Lismore LGA is “this is not the school holidays to go and have a holiday”.

“Stay home and don’t risk getting exposed - this will minimise the risk of transmission and the chance of more lockdowns,” he said.

Rules for fully vaccinated people

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

You must have proof of your vaccination with you at all times, and you must show a Police Officer your proof of vaccination if its requested. Fully vaccinated means you have had two doses of an approved COVID-19 vaccination or have a medical contraindication certificate issued to you.

You can visit the MyGov website and go to Medicare to get your proof of vaccination if you want to go out on group of five people.

Other rules and restrictions while in lockdown

Face masks

You must carry a face mask with you at all times and wear a face mask when you are outside in a public place - including on a street or at a park, queuing outside a cafe or shop to collect take away food or drink or walking on a street near shop fronts.

• in all indoor areas of non-residential premises, including workplaces
• if you are on public transport or in a public transport waiting area
• if you are working in a hospitality venue
• in indoor and outdoor areas of worksites, except when an exemption applies such as when wearing a face mask creates a safety issue or there is a worksite emergency
• when working in an outdoor area. 

There are limited exceptions, such as where you are:

• eating and drinking
• in a vehicle with members of your household or your nominated visitor (‘singles bubble’)
• exercising
• in an emergency situation. 

Visitors to a residence

Generally, visiting another person is not a reasonable excuse to leave your home.

You must not allow a person to visit your home, except if it is:

• for permitted work 
• for childcare
• to give effect to arrangements between parents and children under 18 or their siblings
• to assist a person to move places of residence
• to avoid an injury or serious risk of harm
• because of an emergency
• to view or inspect property to lease or purchase it.

Socialising isn’t a reasonable excuse to have visitors or leave home unless you live on your own. If you do live on your own, your nominated visitor can visit you.

Nominated visitor ("singles bubble")

If you live alone – which means, there are no other adults who live in the same home – you can have a nominated visitor. You do not need to register your nominated visitor. 

A nominated visitor is one person you can socialise with at your place of residence who:

• can only be one person (and their dependent children, if there are no alternative care arrangements)
• can visit you on more than one occasion
• is not a nominated visitor for another person
• lives in a stay-at-home area in regional NSW

Caring and compassionate visits

You can visit a home, and have a person visit your home, for caring and compassionate reasons including:

• providing care to vulnerable people
• visiting a person you are in a relationship with but do not live with. 

Only one person may visit a place of residence at any one time to:

• provide care or assistance to vulnerable people and/or
• for compassionate reasons.

Two people may visit a place of residence to fulfil carers’ responsibilities but only if:

• it is necessary to provide safe care to a person who is resident at the dwelling
• they remain at the residence for a minimum time to provide safe care to the person.

You may bring a dependent child with you if they need supervision and childcare arrangements are not reasonably available.

When visiting, you may be asked to provide information to NSW Police about your visit. You must comply with all other requirements of the rules.

Temporary or holiday accommodation

If you are staying in temporary accommodation in a local government area where the stay-at- home rules apply, including in short-term or holiday accommodation, you may stay at your accommodation until your booking expires.

When your booking expires, you may leave your accommodation to return to:

• your place of residence or
• other accommodation.

While you are staying in your temporary or holiday accommodation, you must continue to comply with the stay-at-home rules.

Real estate auctions and open inspections (including display homes)

The following activities must not take place in the local government areas where the stay-at-home rules apply:

• Auctions that people attend in person (except for the auctioning of food supply, livestock, fibre or crops in regional NSW).
• Open inspections of properties, including display homes, although inspections may be conducted by private appointment for one person only.

You must follow the stay-at-home rules if you are a real estate agent or a prospective purchaser and you live in, usually work in, or usually attend a university or other tertiary education facility in the local government areas where the stay at home rules apply.

Children and parenting

Under the stay-at-home rules, it is a reasonable excuse to leave your home to drop off or pick up children from early childhood education and care services, regardless of where your childcare service is located.