Kempsey businesses discuss impacts of COVID spike across the regions as NSW prepares for regional travel

For many across the state, the easing of restrictions has been a well-received and much-needed return to normality, with pubs, restaurants and shops opening their doors.

But for regional towns like Kempsey, they have almost taken a step back.

In the past fortnight, Kempsey has had its highest number of COVID cases recorded during the pandemic, and after the enforcement of the double vaccination rules, business owners have been silently doing it tough.

There is hesitancy to talk about how hard times have been due to the double vaccination rule, because in the long run, the utilitarian approach is for the greater good. But it would be wrong to deny that business owners have been affected.

Lou Kesby, owner of Lou's Restaurant & Cafe said that due to increasing COVID cases it has "been the worst three weeks I've ever had in business".

"Because of the shutdowns of schools and everything else, thousands of families have just been staying home," Mr Kesby said.

"Business just stopped, almost stopped completely, we may as well have been in lockdown.

"I'm hoping when they open up and they get traffic back on the road it'll turn around for us. We can't carry on like this."

Manager of the Great Northern Hotel, Ben Cusack, said the vaccination mandate definitely slowed things down.

"It has had a noticeable impact on the business, literally from the first day of the double vax rules being put in place, we were coming off the back of two really solid weeks post lock down and that was massively stunted from the introduction of the (vaccination) rules," Mr Cusack said.

But luckily, things are looking up.

"When the vaccination rule started we were probably at 60 per cent double vaxxed and that was represented by the amount of people coming through the door," Mr Cusack said.

"And in the weeks since that, as the vaccination rates increase, we have increased in patrons.

"We were starting to think it would pick back up on December 1, but it is certainly starting to show an upward trend in the past week."

Alex Henley, coordinator of Economic Development and Tourism at Kempsey Shire Council said the road to recovery has been rough.

"It's a tough one and I think it's been difficult for regional New South Wales, taking that step back in some sense because we have kind of been living without it (COVID cases) for so long," Ms Henley said.

"I think we are at a point in time where we have to live with COVID. I think it's great our local businesses can start to welcome people back to the region, it doesn't come with its problems of businesses having to mandate vaccines and records - it's definitely difficult.

"But I do think we need that economic injection coming back into the regions and we are looking forward to welcoming people back into the Macleay Valley."

Council has been working hard on their 'Tourism Strategy Horizon 2030', which is a 10-year plan aiming to boost economic development and tourism in the region. Among the strategies is to help local groups get access to community grants.