STAY AT HOME ORDERS A BLOW FOR HUNTER BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

Business Hunter CEO, Bob Hawes says the stay-at-home orders announced by the NSW Government this morning will be hard for Hunter businesses to take. In a press conference to the state at 11am, Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed that the Hunter Region would enter a seven-day lockdown from 5pm AEST tonight, 5 August 2021 until Thursday 12 August 2021.

“These new restrictions are a disappointing development for our businesses and community members who have been doing so well at staying safe and healthy for the past year,” Mr Hawes said.

“It’s been such a disruptive time for businesses, both big and small, and this lock-down will no doubt be a huge blow right across the region.” “Businesses everywhere are fatigued by the ongoing adaptations and pivoting to public health orders,” Mr Hawes said. “We’ve been surveying Hunter businesses and the feedback data shows that many are already on a knife’s edge because of direct and indirect impacts from the Greater Sydney restrictions – this is going to be tough.

“Hunter businesspeople understand how important it is to contain the spread of COVID-19. We just want to see lockdown decisions across the state that will have the necessary impact to put a lid on the virus and allow business confidence to be restored.

“Business certainty is as important as ever, and I know the entire Hunter community will do the right thing during this lockdown to ensure we can move forward as quickly as possible. “Go and get tested, book a vaccination appointment, and look after each other,” Mr Hawes said.

Business Hunter is working with government to collate and streamline access to information

for business assistance and will keep our business community and membership informed.