The end of our first lockdown looms near, however we will have to wait till the 11th hour for the Premier to confirm if it will extend.
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Since the Greater-Sydney lockdown started seven weeks ago, we have heard stories from local businesses making the tough financial decisions each day.
The recent local lockdown has bought this home, making financial decisions more heartbreaking - whether to stand-down staff, pivot to a hybrid model, or close and potential never open again.
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While Business NSW has marshalled the government for financial support, for most businesses it won't do much more than pay some of the mounting bills that come through the door while customers are forced to stay away.
Meanwhile, the mental health impacts of lockdown upon individuals is massive and incalculable.
Government support for people who currently can't work isn't enough to cover more than basic costs, and every week in lockdown means deeper hardship for them.
The vaccine rollout has been sluggish, and disappointing for locals booked in for Pfizer when it was redirected to Sydney just before we went into lockdown.
But as individuals we need to focus on the things we can change and getting a COVID vaccine - as soon as possible - is the only way we can take personal action to protect our community against further lockdowns.
It is terrific to see that our local pharmacies and GPs have a greater role in delivering the vaccines and making them easier to access.
When I checked the government Vaccine Clinic Finder this week, most vaccination bookings across the region were full for the upcoming 14 days but there is always a few available, and more in the future as vaccine supply is increased and Moderna is introduced.
As an island nation, approximately 19 per-cent of our population are fully vaccinated.
The New England North West is just behind the national average at 18 per-cent, the opposite of the 80 per-cent goal we need to resume 'normal' life.
I'm going to call it - if you're over 40 and not booked in for your first COVID vaccine, you're not trying hard enough. And if you're over 16, now is the time to reach out to your medical practitioner and seek advice about when how you can get the jab.
We have kept the pandemic (relatively) under control, and minimised COVID-related deaths by shutting down businesses, schools and community activity.
This has caused irreparable damage to the economy and the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Australians.
The Federal Government's recent Intergenerational Report foreshadowed far-reaching damage to the nation's bottom line caused by the pandemic, which will see our deficit peak at $1.2 trillion in the early 2030s and lasting debt into the mid-2050s.
Ultimately this level of debt will be something we will all end up pay for, as will our children, and probably grandchildren.
Recently, the Therapeutic Goods Administration granted a temporary exemption to allow rewards for those who get vaccinated.
We've seen businesses offering vaccinated customers doughnuts, movie tickets and employers offering leave or gift cards. However, where the carrot fails, there is always the stick.
France has barred the unvaccinated from attending music festivals. Dating apps are looking to add a vaccination feature to profiles. And businesses in USA are refusing service to unvaccinated patrons - but business do not want to be the police.
With Greater Sydney steadily being vaccinated, regional vaccine-dodgers aren't just exposing themselves to potential life-threatening risks, they are also placing a hand break on our economy - delaying millions of Australians from reconnecting with family and friends inter-state let alone overseas.
Treasury data cited by Josh Frydenberg estimates that the lockdown is costing NSW $700 million a week. This was before half of regional NSW also went into lockdown.
If the lockdown continues indefinitely, our economy will slowly sink - business become less competitive, produce costs more, the cost of living increases and more jobs are lost.
Analysis by Deloitte Access Economics shows that one job is saved for every nine people vaccinated. And as we've already lost 5,400 jobs due to the pandemic, let's make our only lockdown a short one. Please get the jab!
