COVID-19 lockdowns, restrictions make winter holiday 'tough and frustrating time' for Port Stephens

Nelson Bay business owner Megan Tyson said she had noticed a significant downturn in trade following the NSW Government's reintroduction of lockdowns for Greater Sydney and restrictions on Saturday evening in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak in the state's capital city.

"Saturday morning started strong but by the afternoon, the town was dead," said Ms Tyson, who has operated Essence Espresso in Nelson Bay for the past seven years.

"It feels like a slap in the face. The restrictions have come right at holiday time and cover the entire two weeks.

"This period is usually a final hoorah for businesses before tax time. If these measures had of come a little sooner, we still may have had a week where we could have enjoyed visitor trade."

In the 15 months since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Port Stephens has for the most part enjoyed strong visitation, particularly from Sydney residents. The Port enjoyed a boon in visitation during the June long weekend.

The Sydney lockdown and reintroduction of COVID restrictions to regional NSW, announced by Premier Gladys Berejiklian on June 26, has sparked a wave of cancellations and booking postponements in the Port.

Imagine Cruises skipper Frank Future said his Nelson Bay-based business, which at this time of the year relies on visitors booking whale watch tours, could be facing another shut down period due to the amount of cancellations streaming in due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

"We've been rebooking and refunding since Saturday," he said. "It's a real shocker, especially after the June long weekend when it felt like things were getting back on track. This couldn't have come at a worse time."

The COVID-19 outbreak, which on Tuesday had reached 149 locally acquired cases since June 16, sparked a surge in testing at the Port's testing clinics on Monday. Wait times at the Nelson Bay drive through clinic, located in Tomaree Sports Complex, was reportedly up to three hours.

"I have written to the Minister for Health, Brad Hazzard, to request additional services to increase the testing capacity for our region," Port Stephens Mayor Ryan Palmer said.

"I have seen wait times of over three and four hours and know many would be deterred by the lengthy wait times. We are asking our community to do the right thing and yet we need to ensure they have access to adequate testing facilities.

"I know this is a tough and frustrating time for our community, especially those feeling the effects of the past 12 months. It is important that we continue to follow advice of the NSW Government and adhere to the restrictions which are designed to protect our community and reduce the risk of further community transmission."

Testing at the Nelson Bay clinic is open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 1.30pm. No appointment is required. Testing at the Raymond Terrace Respiratory Clinic is by appointment between Monday and Friday, 9am and 5pm.

The outbreak forced the postponement of the PCYC Nations of Origin tournament which was due to attract hundreds of visitors to the Bay on Tuesday and Wednesday.

"While we know this will be very disappointing for the young people who worked so hard to make their Nations team, and their community and supporters, we will start planning the rescheduled Nations for the September school holidays," NSW PCYC stated.

About 100 Port Stephens youths were due to represent the Worimi nation in the tournament.

Additionally, the new restrictions has affected the Port's NAIDOC Week schedule of events. Port Stephens Council has postponed its flag raising ceremony due to launch the week on July 5 and Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council has postponed its family fun day due to be held in Nelson Bay on July 7.

A Port Stephens Council spokesperson said the events would be rescheduled to a later date that has yet to be confirmed.

Ms Tyson said local support of small businesses would be crucial during the school holiday period.

"We need locals to get out and about, buying coffee from cafes, going on whale watching tours, visiting somewhere they normally wouldn't," she said. "If we can't have people visiting here then we need to look after each other. The support keeps the doors to businesses open. When we have visitors back, we want a thriving CBD and not a raft of empty shops."

The NSW Premier and Treasurer announced on Tuesday a rescue package would be made available to businesses affected by the latest COVID-19 measures.

For small businesses of 20 or fewer employees including sole traders, they will be eligible for grants of either $5000, $7000 or $10,000, depending on the nature of the loss in turnover they can demonstrate. A tourism or hospitality-related business can claim the grants if its turnover is less than $10 million each year.

The regional NSW restrictions, due to remain in place until July 9, include:

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