New Public Health Announcement RE Covid and entry into Jervis Bay Territory

22 December 2020

To:       All Caravan Owners & Guests

A new Public Health (Jervis Bay Territory) Emergency Direction (No. 13) 2020 was issued on 21 December, detailing current restrictions in place in the whole of the Jervis Bay Territory.

The Direction provides emergency service officials with powers to do whatever is necessary to contain the spread of COVID-19 and reduce its risk to the health of Jervis Bay Territory (JBT) residents.

The area of public health emergency is for the whole of the Jervis Bay Territory.

The new Public Health Direction identifies COVID-19 hotspots consistent with the Australian Capital Territory. The current COVID-affected hotspots areas are in NSW as follows: Sydney Northern Beaches Local Government Area, Greater Sydney, Central Coast and Wollongong.

One of the key updates to the revised Jervis Bay Territory Public Health Direction legally requires:

• Travelers, who have been in the identified hotspots, are not to enter the Jervis Bay   Territory.
• JBT residents who have visited the identified hotspots must self-isolate for 14 days.
• A person entering the JBT must provide information (including photo ID) if required by an emergency services officer.

The most relevant section of the Public Health Direction for visitors to the RTBU Holiday Park is:

• An affected person (that is, someone from, or who has been in an identified COVID hotspot) must not enter the Territory unless:
  • the person’s usual place of residence is in the Territory; or
  • the person enters the Territory for any of the following purposes:
    • to obtain medical or other care;
    • to fulfil a legal obligation or give effect to a court order;
    • to provide an essential service.
  • An affected person who is not a resident of the Territory must leave the Territory if asked to do so by an emergency services officer.

Police and other emergency services officers can ask for identification from any travellers and prevent travellers from identified hotspots from entering the Territory, and/ or enforce the Public Health Direction, through detaining or penalising those in breach.

To summarise, in keeping with this Public Health Direction, any visitor or guest to the RTBU Holiday travelling from an identified COVID hotspot will be refused entry to the Holiday Park and requested to leave immediately.

Any visitor or guest to the RTBU Holiday Park will need to provide contact details and sign in using QR code

If unsure – check with onsite managers about the COVID Plan in effect at RTBU Holiday Park

Booderee National park

As a precautionary measure, and separate to the Public Health Emergency Direction, Booderee National Park has also been temporarily closed until midnight Wednesday, 23 December 2020.

This closure is a precautionary measure to allow staff, community and relevant authorities to better assess the current NSW COVID situation and decide if longer term protections need to be put in place. The temporary closure will align with NSW restrictions and continue until midnight Wednesday 23 December 2020.

The health and wellbeing of staff, community and visitors continues to be their first priority.

This means the park will be closed to “Park Visitors” – this means non-resident tourists, fisherman, surfers, bushwalkers or day trippers will all be denied entry.

Residents, workers, contractors, guests booked into holiday accommodation (The Cove, RTBU etc) and invited visitors of residents will all be allowed entry.  Noting anyone invited into the park will be responsibility of the person who invites them in, and guests of holiday accommodation will be advised to stay in the vicinity of that accommodation and not enter the rest of the park during the closure period.

Gates around the Booderee National Park will be closed, and barriers put in place.

Anyone intending to travel to the RTBU Holiday Park are advised to check all relevant information before travelling. For updates on the Booderee National Park closure, check the Booderee National Park facebook page or their website on www.parksaustralia.gov.au/booderee/

The RTBU Holiday Park facebook page will update any changes in relation to the Holiday Park as they are available

For current COVID Health Directions and Hotspots check with NSW Health on https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/latest-news-and-updates

Yours,

ALEX CLAASSENS

SECRETARY

Click HERE to download this announcement.