In some good news for bored kids this school holidays, NSW has introduced a new policy on play dates.
The government said the ‘friends bubble’ is a concession for families who have been “doing it tough” during lockdown, with all children under 18 allowed to have a couple of their mates over for a catch-up.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said crisis cabinet agreed on Monday night to offer relief to families after much of the state has endured months of lockdown and home schooling.
“We’re in school holidays. Kids have done it really, really tough, parents have done it tough,” Mr Barilaro told the Nine Network on Tuesday.
“The mental strain, the wellbeing of our kids is important.
“So the crisis committee made a decision that we’ll allow those kids to come together, just like we have the adult single bubbles,” he said.
From midday on Tuesday, the ‘friends bubble‘ will begin, but the following caveats apply:
It must always be the same three kids
All adults in the house need to be fully vaccinated
They must live in a 5-kilometre radius, or in the same LGA
Parents and carers are not to mingle while dropping kids off/picking them up
Children do not have to be vaccinated but they must stay in the same trio of friends.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she hoped the change would boost the mental health of children locked at home.
“This change will hopefully make a big difference for families during the school holidays and allow young children and teenagers to catch up and reconnect with their friends,” Ms Berejiklian said in a statement.
Alyssa, a 15-year-old member of the advisory group to the advocate for children and young people, told a press conference what the bubble will mean to her and other NSW kids.
“Children and young people at the moment want to do the right thing but we also want to stay connected,” Alyssa said.
“Therefore being able to socialise whilst also abide by the new rules through the friendship travel bubble will definitely help us all greatly at the moment.”
The year nine student said she had noticed a lack of motivation among fellow young people towards their education during lockdown, and felt seeing friends would help combat this.
She also said it would “undoubtedly benefit their mental health”.
Border bubble to burst
Meanwhile, the NSW-Queensland border bubble is under threat with the revelation a person with COVID-19 was infectious in several northern NSW communities for two days.
The Northern NSW Local Health District on Monday night confirmed a person had tested positive to the virus on Monday.
The infected person flew from Sydney to Ballina on Virgin Flight VA 1141 on Saturday and was infectious in the Byron, Ballina and Tweed areas until their positive test result on Monday.
On Monday the western NSW town of Cowra was forced back into lockdown, when a nine-year-old school boy tested positive to the virus.
It follows the Albury, Lismore, Glen Innes and Hilltops local government areas.
With several areas included in the border bubble with Queensland now visited by infectious COVID-19 cases, there are fears the travel conditions could revert back to their strictest conditions.
Students and essential workers from the LGAs have been able to travel into Queensland from September 13, in an arrangement negotiated after weeks of sparring between the Queensland and NSW governments.
It came as NSW reported fewer than 1000 new infections on Monday, for the first time in almost a month.
The state is expected to reach 70 per cent double vaccination in the first week of October, he said.
“Definitely in the first or second week of October we’ll get the state open,” he said.
Some 935 new local COVID-19 cases were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday and four deaths.
It was the lowest number of daily infections since August 27, but Premier Gladys Berejiklian pleaded with NSW residents to remain on high alert.
