Wagga businesses 'frustrated' as COVID-19 mask and pub rules extended

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced a "difficult decision" on Wednesday to extend the regional NSW restrictions and the greater Sydney lockdown.

"We're really pleased that there hasn't been any instances of the virus in regional NSW, I want to thank regional communities for their patience," she said.

In regional areas like Wagga, restrictions such as wearing face masks while inside non-residential buildings will continue until midnight on July 16.

Wagga's licenced venues will remain under the ban on dancefloors and standing with drinks.

Wagga Liquor Accord secretary and outgoing William Farrer Hotel publican David Barnhill said the extended lockdown would be bad for all types of businesses in the city.

"We're hoping that the restrictions end next week, but there's no guarantees," he said.

"Our feeling is that they should have had a different policy for regional areas, we shouldn't have been wearing masks, we shouldn't be limited to one person per four square metres, especially since no one can leave greater Sydney.

"Bigger bookings are cancelling and accommodation is cancelling."

As well as avoiding stay-at-home orders, regional NSW will also benefit from schools being able to welcome back students in person next week.

NSW Teachers Federation senior vice-president Amber Flohm welcomed the decision to allow students to physically return to school in regional areas when holidays end next week.

"All teachers and students are best off learning in the classroom wherever that is safe, and given the advice from NSW Health that regional areas are distinct from areas like Greater Sydney and the Central Coast, we support the decision," she said.

Wagga independent MP Joe McGirr said extending the lockdown was the right decision given the 27 community transmission cases and the number of people ending up on ventilators in hospital.

"The numbers suggest to me that the potential for the spread remains significant and you couldn't really say it's under control," he said.

"I know it's very frustrating, people's holidays have been affected and they are frustrated around the mask wearing but it is good news that the kids will be going back to school."

Wagga's retail shops last week said they had seen varying impacts from the new restrictions, with some losing 90 per cent of their trade.

Nicholson's Jewellers owner Robert Nicholson said he was disappointed to see the restrictions extended.

"It's frustrating to keep moving in and out of lockdowns. I think there has been sloppy management of quarantine," he said.

Mr Nicholson said there had been an impact on business from the latest round of restrictions.

"People hate wearing masks. It's difficult to communicate and they feel suffocated," he said.

"Wagga people are resilient in terms of coming out to the shops but it does worry some of the older people."

Ms Berejiklian said the decision to extend the restrictions was due to the "extremely transmissible" delta strain of the virus.

"What we want to do is give us our best chance of making sure this is the last lockdown we have before the vast majority of our citizens are vaccinated," she said.

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