Port Mayor reminds visitors to be COVID Safe when travelling

Port Stephens Mayor Ryan Palmer is reminding visitors, businesses and the community to stay COVID Safe over the peak holiday period.

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“The current situation in the Northern Beaches of Sydney is a reminder to us all that we need to stay vigilant when it comes to COVID-19.

“There’s no need to panic — but it is important to be alert and ensure we’re all staying 1.5 meters apart, wearing masks where necessary, washing our hands and getting tested if we have any symptoms.

“I’d also encourage our business community to make sure they have robust COVID Safe plans in place. This includes QR codes for contact tracing, physical distancing signage and turning people away if they are coming from hotspots.

“I ask that people from the Northern Beaches follow the Premier’s advice and do not travel to Port Stephens or other holiday areas to keep our community safe.

“This is the busiest time of year for Port Stephens and we all need to make sure we do our part to protect the health and safety of our community,” Mayor Palmer said.

General Manager Wayne Wallis says Council’s Holiday Parks will continue to operate under COVID Safe Plans.

“Our Holiday Parks have been operating under COVID Safe Plans since March, including checking where visitors are travelling from and asking visitors from hotspots to postpone their travel, including the Northern Beaches.

“This is an important step we’ve taken to protect our community and our visitors alike,” he said.

“Our Council also has a COVID Safe plan for public spaces to ensure we can continue to keep our beaches, reserves, parks, shared pathways and other public spaces open for all to enjoy this summer,” he said.

What can you do to keep COVID Safe:

· follow the advice of NSW Health and the NSW Police

· plan your visit to recreational areas

· don’t go during peak times of the day

· report breaches of the NSW public health order to the Police Assistance Line on 13 14 44.

What Port Stephens Council is doing to keep you COVID Safe:

· communicating safety messages with our community through our website and social media channels

· monitoring beaches and public spaces to ensure crowd sizes are kept within limits

· communicating with relevant agencies like NSW Police, NSW Health and Surf Life Saving NSW

· providing public announcements at patrolled beaches

· signage in key locations with relevant COVID-19 messages.

For more information about our response to COVID-19, visit portstephens.nsw.gov.au/covid19