Business owners in South East NSW are taking a wait and see approach regarding how the latest surge in COVID-19 cases may impact trade over the peak summer period.
Batemans Bay Business and Tourism Chamber president David Maclachlan said businesses were confident people were educated enough in COVID-safe practices.
"We haven't had a disruption for a while, but we have had a mass migration of workers away from hospitality since COVID and they haven't come back," the hotel owner and co-founder of Sculpture for Clyde said.
"Everybody is looking for staff, especially casual staff."
Mr Maclachlan said it was too early to tell if the new wave of COVID cases would impact businesses during the highly anticipated summer holiday period.
In the week to November 17, NSW Health recorded 209 positive cases across the South East, with 61 of those in the Snowy Monaro, 63 in the Bega Valley and 85 in the Eurobodalla.
"There's talk of a fourth wave but we're a regional area and we don't really know much about it or what it could entail," Mr Maclachlan said.
"We don't know whether there will be any mandatory mask wearing, and people are just looking forward to summer.
"We're just waiting to see what happens, and people are now used to taking things a day at a time and wishing for the best."
South East residents hospitalised
Southern NSW Local Health District executive director of medical services, Liz Mullins, expects the peak of COVID transmission to hit during the second week of December.
But she hopes the wave will be short and sharp.
Dr Mullins said two people with COVID were in hospital in the Bega Valley.
"It is certainly on the increase, but not at a terrifying level or a worrying level," she said.
"The worry about spread in the community is that people can't work."
It comes after New South Wales Health issued an amber alert on Friday after recording a 50 per cent increase in cases across the state, combined with a high number of staff unable to work due to testing positive or awaiting a result.
Dr Mullins said emergency staff were wearing goggles and face shields and office staff were wearing masks.
She urged residents to wear a mask indoors or in crowded places.
Dr Mullins said a small number of hospital visitors had refused to wear masks and staff were relying on the goodwill of visitors to follow regulations.
"People in hospital are vulnerable and we don't want them getting unnecessary germs coming in from the outside," she said.
Sapphire Coast Destination Marketing tourism manager Rhys Treloar said with most of the region's tourists coming from Victoria and the ACT, he was confident the wave would pass without disruptions.
"Given we are in an area that was so impacted by the border closures, people are aware of good practice and are very savvy," he said.
