Check in, check out, mask on, mask off … these actions were all unheard of prior to the arrival of COVID-19.

Yet, they have now all become routine in people’s day-to-day lives. Or at least they should be routine.

In the business community, the consequences of not following this routine has severe and expensive repercussions.

It is far more costly than the fines given to people who flout the COVID public health orders.

But even if a business follows the rules they will still feel the government’s wrath for an individual’s wrongdoing.

Naturally, businesses enforce the sign in, sign out, mask on, mask off routine.

All it takes is one person to breach that requirement for them to be thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Vaccines aside, check ins and masks are a way of fighting the virus and keeping it at bay in Narrabri.

Check ins enable authorities to quickly contact trace if a confirmed COVID case visits a venue.

Some will argue this routine is unnecessary as Narrabri hasn’t had a COVID case during the pandemic.

We only have to look at what has happened in Tamworth this week after a positive case visited the area leaving several Peel Street venues on the NSW government’s list of places of concern.

Narrabri and Tamworth are inextricably linked. If we can’t find something at a Narrabri business, we usually buy it in Tamworth.

If there is a health service unavailable in Narrabri, we seek medical attention in Tamworth.

When we look to have a weekend away, perhaps to have a cuisine we can’t find or an activity that’s unavailable here, we go to Tamworth.

Many people travel between Narrabri and Tamworth on a regular basis for business and leisure.

The reality is that COVID can quite easily come to Narrabri and we need to do whatever is needed to not become complacent with this global virus.

Check in, check out, mask on, mask off is a small price to pay to make sure our local businesses aren’t liable for fines to the tune of thousands of dollars.

Most importantly, it’s a small effort to try to keep COVID out of Narrabri.

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