'Buckle-up': Tamworth's leaders ready to tough it out as region dragged into statewide lockdown extension

The rate of community transmission of the highly infectious Delta strain of COVID-19 is continuing to alarm authorities, and Tamworth mayor Col Murray believes opening up the regions at this time simply "isn't worth the risk".

"We're certainly under threat all around us, we're seeing COVID shadows over places like Kempsey and Yamba and sneaking up the Hunter Valley and in the Central West," he said.

"I respect our health authorities and I know they have a lot of information, a lot of data there to base their decisions on which out here in the regions we're not really privy to."

News that regional NSW will remain in lockdown until at least August 28 is particularly hard to swallow for local businesses who are already under incredible pressure, and for some will be the tipping point.

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson has urged businesses struggling financially "not to self assess" and reach out to receive the help that is available.

"It's a real problem for small businesses, hotels, pubs, clubs, accommodation and tourism," he said.

"But what I'm doing is doing everything I can to support them with the assistance and support measures from Service NSW with grants, employee contributions and support for small businesses.

"This is a very difficult situation and a difficult time for everybody."

He encouraged people to do welfare checks, which he said is being done by daily phone calls to community members from his office.

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He also said businesses should reach out to Service NSW, their local MP's office or the federal government website to look at what assistance and support measures are available.

"We're also working with church organisations to look at what they might be able to do to support those who are single in our community, and the elderly in our community who don't have that support network around them," he added.

The toll of the lockdown extension on the community's mental health is also of extreme concern to local leaders, and Cr Murray urged anyone struggling to reach out.

"Talk to your GPs, talk to your health providers and get support, there's lots of support out there, we've just got to buckle up and get to the other end of this," he said.

"If you look at the international news, things are happening around the world.

"How serious would the people of Kabul in Afghanistan consider being locked in your own home where you're safe and secure with plenty of food and everything else you need.

"I don't think they'd see it as such a big imposition. We've got to take it in perspective and we've just got to tough it out."

But in terms of a way out of Tamworth's lockdown the mayor and local MP had one word - "vaccinate".

"We need to ramp-up our vaccinations, we're below 50 per cent in the regions - whereas our cities are above 50 per cent so there's a message for us, we need to ensure that we're getting vaccinated," Cr Murray said.

Tamworth and Armidale remained virus-free again on Thursday, despite a record 681 cases in NSW.

REGIONAL parts of the state that are not affected by active COVID-19 cases are almost certainly going to be released from lockdown next weekend.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro fronted a virtual press conference on Thursday afternoon and told reporters the state government intended to lift some regional restrictions on August 28.

"That's almost a blunt commitment," he said.

Stay at home rules in Tamworth and Gunnedah - along with the entire state - have been extended for a week.

Mr Barilaro said the state government and health teams would be considering an approach that looked at the individual situation of each local government area in the lead up to August 28.

Despite a virus scare two weeks ago, the Tamworth and Gunnedah areas have been free from cases for more than a year.

Tamworth was first locked down in this current Delta variant outbreak on August 9.

He said crisis cabinet would meet on Thursday afternoon to decide whether to extend testing isolation payments to high priority regional areas, but not across the state.

- with Anna Falkenmire

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