With greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains and Wollongong currently in a 14-day lockdown, the Delta variant raising concerns around Australia and the majority of states report new cases, it can be difficult to find the light.
After a year and a half of on and off lockdowns, it’s completely fair enough to feel a bit bloody over it. Although it’s good to accept our negative feelings, embrace the meltdowns, drink some wine and cry, it’s also really important to try and stay positive where we can.
We’ve got some positive news that might help.
The NSW government’s hospitality ‘Dine and Discover’ voucher scheme is being expanded and extended so that the vouchers will remain eligible throughout lockdown and include takeaway purchases.
In a bid to assist residents and tens of thousands of small businesses impacted by the current COVID-19 restrictions, NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet announced plans to extend the NSW Dine and Discover voucher program as part of a larger grants package providing new financial support to small businesses.
The Dine and Discover voucher launched back in March and gives Sydney residents four $25 vouchers to spend on hospitality venues and cultural experiences.
Originally, the vouchers were meant to be spent at venues, to assist the tourism and hospitality industries in reopening during a ‘post-COVID’ climate. Unfortunately, we’ve been launched back into the strangely familiar isolation of restrictions, lockdowns and working from home and in order to support venues that are still operating for takeaway, the Dine and Discover vouchers are accommodating.
NSW residents will now have until August 31 to spend the vouchers, which will also be able to be used on takeaway food orders on the condition that it is delivered directly to the home by the restaurant or café and not picked up. They can’t be redeemed using third-party delivery platforms, such as Uber Eats or Deliveroo.
Although this limits the number of places you can redeem your Dine and Discover voucher in lockdown, it’s still a huge way we can support our favourite local businesses and make the most of the NSW government’s initiative to support the industries that need us the most right now.
“We know that our lockdown … has created much stress,” Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
“We don’t want anyone to feel stressed during this lockdown that they won’t be able to manage their household situation or their business situation.”
Grants of between $5000 and $10,000 will also be available to small businesses, depending on declines in turnover, during the health restrictions in a bid to alleviate cashflow constraints.
The grants can be used for business expenses such as rent, utilities and wages, for which no other government support is available, as reported on 7 News.
More information and updates will be available in real-time on the Service NSW website.
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