NSW Government Weekly Update - 17 September 2021

For the latest COVID-19 advice & information please visit www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19

• The NSW and Commonwealth governments will launch a home quarantine pilot in Greater Sydney next month, as NSW transitions towards opening up international borders.
• The pilot will run from later this month and operate for four weeks.
• The pilot, to be operated and monitored by NSW Health and NSW Police, will trial a seven day home quarantine program for around 175 people.
• Participants in the pilot will have had both doses of a TGA-accredited COVID-19 vaccine.
• The participants will be selected by NSW Health, based on a risk assessment framework, and may include some NSW residents, some non-Australian residents and some Qantas aircrew.
• The isolation period will be reduced from 14 to seven days.
• NSW will utilise a mobile phone app based on that already in use in South Australia. The app uses geolocation and face recognition technology to monitor isolation compliance. The app will also provide people with a testing schedule and symptom checker. Privacy will be protected through the same mechanisms as the current Service NSW check-in regulations.
• Random in-person police checks will also be conducted, and the existing penalties for individuals who breach conditions of their isolation still apply.
• NSW has quarantined over 245,000 travellers throughout this pandemic, by far the most of any jurisdiction in the country and this pilot will lay the foundations for us to reunite even more families and friends who are fully vaccinated.

• Curfews in Sydney’s Local Government Areas (LGAs) of concern have now been lifted, as the state hits the milestone of 80 per cent of the adult population with one dose of the COVID vaccine.
• This is a whole-of-government decision based on the advice of our health and police experts.
• NSW Health continues to urge everyone in these LGAs, and throughout NSW, to get vaccinated, get tested immediately if they have even the mildest of symptoms and isolate until they receive a negative result.
• For the latest information or to book a vaccination appointment visit nsw.gov.au/covid-19.

• Stay-at-home orders will be lifted for Bega, Blayney, Bogan, Cabonne, Dungog, Forbes, Muswellbrook, Narrabri, Parkes, Singleton, Snowy Monaro and Upper Hunter Local Government Areas (LGAs) from 1pm Thursday 16 September.
• For a full list of freedoms available to all people in regional LGAs where stay-at-home orders have been lifted, please visit nsw.gov.au/covid-19.
• Stay-at-home orders will unfortunately be introduced for the Albury and Lismore LGAs from 6pm Thursday, 16 September for one week, due to an increased COVID-19 public health risk.
• Albury and Lismore residents who are fully vaccinated can attend an outdoor gathering of up to five people for exercise or outdoor recreation so long as all of those gathering are aged 16 or older and are fully vaccinated.

• An additional $287.5 million in COVID-19 financial support is available to assist workers and vulnerable communities in metropolitan, regional and rural NSW.
• The additional funding will see the COVID-19 emergency hardship payments, test and isolate support payments and community empowerment grants expanded across all of NSW.
• The NSW Government’s additional $287.5 million funding commitment includes:

• Emergency hardship, one-off payment of $400 administered by the Red Cross which has been expanded to temporary visa/ no visa holders in NSW who are facing severe financial hardship and are not eligible for other government income. To apply visit: www.redcross.org.au/get-help/help-for-migrants-in-transition/help-for-migrants-in-transition/nsw-relief.
• Test and isolate payment of $320 which has now been expanded state-wide. It is available for eligible workers aged 17 and over, who have symptoms of COVID-19, to get tested and isolate until a negative result is returned. The payment is available to NSW workers who do not have sick, carer's or pandemic leave. To apply visit: www.service.nsw.gov.au/transaction/apply-test-and-isolate-support-payment.
• Community supports grants that have been expanded across NSW to help organisations deliver emergency food relief, promote vaccination and testing services, and provide culturally appropriate support and care to diverse communities.

• The new $287.5 million funding commitment is in addition to the NSW Government’s existing commitment of $7.7 billion in COVID-19 support measures.

• Applications have opened for eligible grassroots organisations to share in a $10 million funding package, to support vulnerable people and multicultural communities living in priority areas during the current COVID outbreak.
• The program will support non-Government organisations (NGOs) to link those in need with vital support services, including family and parenting supports, food and essential items, and specialist counselling to address issues such as mental health concerns, drug and alcohol abuse and family and domestic violence.
• It will target those needing urgent help in the 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of concern, including those who are required to isolate due to COVID-19. Eligible organisations, who already provide proven support services to vulnerable members of the community in the 12 LGAs of concern, will be directly invited by the Department of Communities and Justice to participate in the program.
• The $10 million COVID-19 Partnership Grants program is part of a $18.8 million emergency relief package being delivered by the NSW Government, a record amount during this current outbreak.

• More than 250 schools across NSW will receive upgrades, including improvements to playgrounds, science facilities and canteens, providing hundreds of jobs for local businesses.
• The $484 million Minor Capital Works program will upgrade and renew school facilities and security, as well as improve accessibility for students with additional needs.
• The Department of Education has more than 2,200 NSW public schools and delivery of these projects ensures that schools across the state have access to modern facilities to support learning outcomes.
• The NSW Government is investing $7.9 billion over the next four years, continuing its program to deliver 215 new and upgraded schools to support communities across NSW. This is the largest investment in public education infrastructure in the history of NSW.

• As students and staff are preparing for a return to face-to-face learning in NSW public schools next month, the NSW Government is ensuring that all schools are safe, clean and secure.
• The Department of Education is carrying out a systematic review of all learning spaces, including libraries and halls, to ensure all schools continue to operate in the safest ways possible.
• The review will focus on ventilation in classrooms and also provide support to schools to adapt lessons to make full use of school facilities including outdoor learning areas.
• Schools with air conditioning systems are also being checked to ensure they are fully operational, and the frequency of filter servicing and cleaning will be increased.
• Advice and supplies will continue to be provided to principals to support ventilation, personal hygiene, school activities, mask wearing and cleaning to ensure they can operate their school in a COVID safe way.
• The review is informed by the expertise of NSW Health and latest research including the NCIRS report: COVID-19 Delta variant in schools and early childhood education.

• Customers in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains have given the NSW Government’s Digital Photo Card trial the thumbs up, with almost 20 per cent of those eligible (24,697 out of a possible 127,290) opting for the digital version of the card.
• The trial offers customers a safe, contactless way to show their identity when leaving home for essential reasons during lockdown, earning it a 98 per cent customer satisfaction rating from participants.
• The Digital Photo Card is hosted securely on the Service NSW app, which is locked with a PIN. It provides additional levels of security and protection against identity fraud, compared to the plastic digital photo card.
• When a customer is issued their Photo Card they simply refresh the app for real-time updates, without having to wait for a plastic card to arrive in the post.
• Following a successful trial, the Digital Photo Card will be rolled out across NSW in the coming months.

• Young people across NSW will have access to expanded digital mental health support thanks to a $1.5m investment from the NSW Government.
• The Moderated Online Social Therapy (MOST) platform, designed by youth mental health organisation Orygen, will be embedded in eight eligible youth mental health services across NSW between now and 30 June 2022.
• MOST will help connect young people with online resources that they can use to improve their mental health and wellbeing as well as connecting them with a network of peers and mental health clinicians.
• The MOST platform can be accessed 24/7 from a range of devices including mobile phones, tablets and desktop computers.
• The funding for the MOST platform is in addition to the NSW Government’s extensive range of initiatives, including, $5.5m for lockdown support during Covid, $87 million for Towards Zero Suicides initiatives, $109 million for Safeguards Child and Adolescent Mental Health Response Teams and $6 million to establish 12 Community Wellbeing Collaboratives in communities at high risk of suicide.

• More household food and garden waste will be kept out of landfill, thanks to $12 million in grant funding for councils across the State.
• The funding supports the NSW Government’s commitment to halve the amount of organic waste sent to landfill and reach net zero emissions from organic waste in landfill by 2030.
• The funding, available through the Organics Collections program, can be used to upgrade existing kerbside garden waste collections, establish new organics collection services or conduct trials of food-only collections in unit blocks. It can also be used to support the purchase of new infrastructure such as wheelie bins and kitchen caddies, or for community education campaigns.
• Individual grants of up to $1.3 million are up for grabs, with eligible councils, regional waste groups, regional organisations of councils and joint organisations encouraged to apply via the Environmental Trust.
• For more information visit: www.environment.nsw.gov.au/funding-and-support/nsw-environmental-trust/grants-available/organics-collections.