After living for more than 18 months COVID-free, Lord Howe Island has a "new normal".
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The island, 600km east of the Australian mainland, has recorded 91 COVID cases since it opened to visitors in October 2021, and 12 of those cases are currently in isolation.
The island's Local Emergency Management Committee has implemented a COVID response plan to minimise the impact of the spike.
The vaccination booster clinic has opened 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 the COVID outbreak.
The Lord Howe Island Board is urging visitors to get tested for COVID before travelling to the World Heritage-listed site.
The board spokesperson said people who become COVID-positive on the island must 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.
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.
