Dubbo businesses can start ramping up to throw open the doors within weeks with the release of the state's next reopening plans, the head of their peak body says.
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Chamber of commerce president Matt Wright welcomed the NSW government road map for 80 per cent double-dose vaccination coverage and beyond, announced this week.
It, coupled with a first easing of restrictions at the 70 per cent threshold - tracking to happen on October 11 - provided some certainty for businesses, he said.
"I think initially a bit of a sense of relief, but also excitement now," he said of the reaction to the government's announcement this week.
"I know that plenty of business owners have been waiting for the past three or four weeks to try and find out when we would be out of this situation that we're in.
"Obviously that's been an unknown for quite a while, so now we'll have a bit of certainty.
"I think businesses can now look forward to that and plan accordingly for an opening on October 11."
Only providers of essential products and services have been able to keep their doors open for the past 50 days in Dubbo, after a COVID outbreak prompted the snap introduction of stay-at-home orders on August 11.
Business NSW, the state's peak body for business, is dubbing October 11 "Back to Business Day".
The easing of restrictions at the 70 per cent and 80 per cent marks will only apply to people who have had two doses of the vaccination against COVID-19.
- READ MORE: NSW sets December date for 'COVID-normal'
Businesses across the state had raised concerns that if they had to police the double-jab requirement among customers, it could lead to further costs.
Mr Wright was on Tuesday satisfied the state's public health orders would put the onus on individuals to abide by the rules, rather than on businesses to enforce them.
He also noted the Dubbo Local Government Area's first-dose and second-dose rates were "ahead of the curve" when compared to the state average.
Mr Wright forecast consumers were counting down to reopening as much as businesses, and that trade would take little time to start up again.
"Definitely, I think the pubs and clubs will see an explosion of customers through the front door, effective nine o'clock Monday morning or as soon as they open," he said.
"I think the general public, they realise that Christmas really isn't that far away, we're talking 12 weeks away, give or take, and on the basis of that, I think plenty of them will know that their window to do Christmas shopping is starting to close.
"I think a lot of them as well are quite concerned about available stock levels as well, and if they don't shop now, then they may miss out.
I don't think it will be a gently-gently approach in that first week, I think people are really keen to get out and about and back in the shops.
- Chamber president Matt Wright
"I don't think it will be a gently-gently approach in that first week, I think people are really keen to get out and about and back in the shops.
"So there's plenty of pent-up demand, people have been accumulating cash because they've had nothing else to spend it on really, but there's certainly an accumulation of savings, we're seeing that and hopefully they'll be keen to get out and spend it after October 11."
Questioned at the daily COVID briefing about whether a business would be fined for having unvaccinated customers between reopening and December 1, health minister Brad Hazzard said multiple times fines for business was not currently part of the public health orders.
"I just said the venue is unlikely at this point to be fined, that's not on the agenda at this point," Mr Hazzard said.
"And I don't think any state or territory are moving in that direction at the present time.
"But individuals are up for fines somewhere between $1000 and potentially $11,000 and or six months in jail, if they breach the orders.
"If they go to court, that's the potential fine."
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