COVID-19 Information

Mental health organisations support people in distress every day. Now more than ever we need to support each other and work with community organisations and government agencies to get through this pandemic together.

We will keep the sector up-to-date through our weekly FYI newsletter, this website and email alerts as required.

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Latest News (updated 20 September 2021)

Restrictions eased in LGAs of concern

From 20 September 2021, restrictions in the local government areas of concern will start to align with Greater Sydney. Eased restrictions include:

No limits on the duration of outdoor exercise and recreation (previously a two-hour limit)
Allowing outdoor gatherings of up to five fully vaccinated people (not including children aged 12 and under) in a person’s LGA or within 5km of home (previously only fully vaccinated household members could gather outdoors, or up to two fully vaccinated people from different households)
Shopping, exercise and outdoor recreation now being allowed to be done 5km from home or within your LGA (previously only 5km from home)
Attending a small wedding (maximum 11 people) in Greater Sydney as a guest (previously only allowed in their LGA)
A person’s single’s bubble buddy can live in Greater Sydney (previously must have resided within 5km of a person’s home). A person from a LGA of concern can also now be a buddy for someone in Greater Sydney.

While nearly all restrictions in the LGAs of concern are now aligned with other lockdown areas, authorised worker conditions and travel permit requirements still remain in place in the LGAs of concern.

NSW Government has provided a toolkit with useful resources to communicate these changes.

Disability day programs

From 11 September 2021, disability day programs may recommence in areas no longer under stay-at-home orders in accordance with the Public Health Order.

Activities in group settings should continue to be suspended for those still under stay-at-home orders, unless non-attendance at a day program would result in a risk of harm to the person with disability or others.

If activities are continued for this reason, day program providers should:

provide individual activities and avoid group interactions unless the participants are from the same household
maintain COVID-19 infection prevention protocols

For more information, visit the NSW Health – COVID-19 Disability Service Providers page.

Mandatory vaccinations in LGAs of concern

To help authorised workers plan for vaccinations, please see the timetable provided by NSW Health below:

Date Commencing	Category of worker	Mandatory vaccination requirement
9 September	Authorised workers who live in an LGA of concern who leave their LGA for work purposes.	First dose OR Evidence of an appointment to get vaccinated on or before 19 September
9 September	Disability, early childhood care and food processing workers who live or work in an LGA of concern	First dose OR Evidence of an appointment to get vaccinated on or before 19 September
9 September	Residential aged care facility (RACF) workers and others who work in or enter RACF	First dose OR Evidence of an appointment to get vaccinated on or before 19 September
30 September	Health care workers	First dose
31 October	Health pracitioners and students who enter RACF	First dose
30 November	Health care workers	Second dose

For the latest updates, visit the NSW Health – COVID-19 Disability Service Providers page.

Current 14-day COVID-19 travel permits extended to 30 September

All previously issued 14-day travel permits have been extended to 30 September 2021.

Workers may continue to use their existing COVID-19 travel registration unless details of the travel have changed.

New permits issued will be valid until 30 September 2021.

Workers must still carry their travel registration and supporting documents, and substantiate any locations they are travelling to, if requested by NSW Police.

For more information, visit the Service NSW page.

Freedoms for people in NSW who have had both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine

From 13 September 2021:

For those who live outside the LGAs of concern, outdoor gatherings of up to five people (including children) will be allowed in a person’s LGA or within 5km of home.
For those who live in the LGAs of concern, and who have responded to the call out to get vaccinated, households with all adults vaccinated will be able to gather outdoors (including picnics) within the existing rules (for one hour only, outside curfew hours and within 5km of home).

For more information, visit the NSW Government COVID-19 page.

For the latest case information, visit NSW Health.

Quick reference – resources to help you through lockdown

Further Information on COVID-19

Department of Health – Health Alerts
NSW Health – COVID-19 updates
NSW Department of Communities and Justice – Info for Service Providers
NSW Government – COVID-19 Mental Health & Wellbeing
NDIS – COVID Info & Support
NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commission – COVID-19 information for people with disability
NDIS Quality & Safeguards Commission – COVID-19 information for providers
National Coronavirus Helpline: 1800 020 080
COVID-19 Disability Information Helpline : 1800 643 787
#GettingThroughThisTogether campaign by National Mental Health Commission
COVID Toolkits: NSW Government has released COVID toolkits for businesses:

Mental Health Support

Lifeline Phone – 13 11 14
Mental Health Line – 1800 011 511
Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Line – 1800 512 348
Western Sydney Help Line – 02 8890 5236

Australian Psychological Society | COVID-19 information for Australians
Being Mental Health Consumers
Beyond Blue | COVID-19
Bipolar Australia | Staying Home with Bipolar
Blue Knot | COVID-19 factsheet
e-Mental Health in Practice | Managing your mental health during COVID-19 (Factsheet on government-funded online, phone and app mental health support)
Grow | Mental Health Groups
Independent Community Living Australia | eFriend (Online Peer Support)
Mental Health Australia | Look after your mental health Australia
Mental Health Carers NSW
NSW Mental Health Commission | Mental Health and COVID-19
Red Cross | How to prepare for COVID-19 – 1800 733 276
Wayahead | Taking care of your mental health in the wake of COVID-19
World Health Organization | Mental health and psychosocial considerations during COVID-19

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COVID-19 Information

Latest News (updated 20 September 2021)

Restrictions eased in LGAs of concern

Disability day programs

Mandatory vaccinations in LGAs of concern

Current 14-day COVID-19 travel permits extended to 30 September

Freedoms for people in NSW who have had both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine

Quick reference – resources to help you through lockdown

Further Information on COVID-19

Mental Health Support

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