The Lord Howe Island community is adjusting to a new sense of normal after its COVID-free period ended.
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The island has recorded 91 COVID cases since it opened to visitors in October 2021, and 12 of those cases are currently in isolation, according to a spokesperson from the island's board.
The island's Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) has been meeting since January 1 and implemented a COVID response plan to minimise the impact of the spike.
The vaccination booster clinic has commenced earlier than planned, Rapid Antigen Tests have been sourced for critical clinical needs and a workforce continuity plan has been established to ensure critical services can be maintained.
The news comes after Norfolk Island paused visitor arrivals until January 26, in an attempt to stem its amount of COVID cases.
The Lord Howe Island Board is urging visitors to get tested for COVID prior to travel to the world heritage listed site.
The board spokesperson said people who become COVID positive on the island are required to isolate in their accommodation. None of the 91 cases have required treatment on the mainland.
Lord Howe Island Coral Cafe owner Stevie Sia said his business was forced to close for a week in January after two staff members tested positive for the virus.
He's owned his business for the last 20 years and also runs the post office and the island's newspaper.
Mr Sia said there was an increased number of COVID cases on the island at the start of 2022, after a New Year's Eve party.
"The first and second weeks of January was a bit of a struggle for businesses," he said.
Mr Sia encourages people to test themselves for the virus prior to travel to the island.
"We do have a small population and we do have some elderly people on the island," he said.
The island community has a strong reliance on visitation to boost its tourism industry.
"It's definitely good to see the island getting back to normal," Mr Sia said.
Arajilla Retreat owner Bill Shead said their accommodation has taken bookings throughout 2022 and into 2023.
Mr Shead said it's great to see the island busy with visitors again.
"The island is highly sought after," he said.
"People don't want to travel overseas because there's too much uncertainty."
Mr Shead said the island has the right health practices to mitigate the spread of the virus, through good ventilation at accommodation, outdoor dining venues and plenty of opportunities for people to social distance through participating in outdoor activities.
"We're limited at any one time to 400 people, so it's definitely not a crowded destination," he said.
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