One year on: How COVID lockdowns reshaped Orange, NSW

COVID-19 - and the unprecedented government response late on July 20 to place the Local Government Areas of Orange, Blayney and Cabonne into lockdown following a single case of COVID-19 - triggered significant economic, demographic, and social changes.

The lockdown was the first of its kind for regional NSW, and then deputy premier John Barilaro said the success of the seven-day stay at home orders for the Orange, Cabonne and Blayney LGAs - no new cases emerged - would be used as a benchmark moving forward in the pandemic.

Things have certainly changed 12 months on.

Over the course of the last month, the Orange LGA has recorded 677 new cases of COVID through PCR testing - that doesn't include positive rapid antigen tests, which are now widely used to test for the virus.

And, of course, we've not been in lockdown now for many months, and restrictions have all but eased completely.

Mask wearing is now almost a thing of the past - although it's no longer alarming to see someone walking down Summer Street with one on.

Once upon a time it felt like we had to complete a QR check-in to roll into bed, but that contact tracing measure is now a thing of the past too.

"When we started hearing whispers about the virus I don't think anyone really knew what to expect," Orange Mayor Jason Hamling said.

Hospitality venues were forced to rapidly pivot from the first outbreak in March 2020, and many collapsed under the strain.

"The lockdowns were very significant and challenging for all involved," owner of the Byng Street Group cafe chain, Jeremy Norris, said.

"We had to adapt very quickly and go into a slight reinvention to ensure we could service our wonderful and loyal customers."

Like many others in Orange, Mr Norris' cafes shifted to home-deliveries to keep operating.

"Instead of people coming to us, we decided to take the business to them and tried our best to make it easy for our customers," he added.

"I think we all did well as a community ... I was glad to be living in Orange at the time. It was probably one of the best places in NSW to be."

Mayor Hamling said: "For every business that found a way there were others [where] that was not possible.

"Some of those businesses may not be with us any more or may take years to recover ... I am thankful we have a buoyant and diverse economy."

Border closures meanwhile sparked renewed Australian interest in domestic travel, and Central West tourism numbers spiked more than 20 per cent.

The rise of remote work during lockdowns also changed day-to-day routines, and lured new permanent residents to Orange.

Recent census data reveals a population increase of 7.9 per cent up to 2021, and rising average incomes suggest many were professionals from cities.

The influx of people has contributed to an increase in house prices, with the average home now $684,500 - up about 30 per cent in the past 12 months.

Other trends including rising diversity, divorce rates, and atheism emerged in the census, however it's unclear if there were influenced in any way by the pandemic or the response.

Vaccination rates in Orange are among the highest in Australia, with more than 95 per cent of adults receiving two or more jabs.

Despite this, case numbers are on the rise once again - and authorities are pleading for caution to prevent more fatalities or another lockdown.

As of 4pm on July 19, NSW Health reports there was 543 new cases of COVID-19 picked up across the Western NSW Local Health District.

Almost nine million people have contracted the virus in Australia. Over three million of those have been in NSW. While, as a country, we're nearing 11,000 deaths as a result of the crippling impact on people's health the virus can have.

Based on PCR results, as mentioned earlier, the Orange LGA has recorded over 650 new cases of COVID-19 in the last month - but that number isn't as stark as others across the district.

Bathurst has recorded 1030 in the same time frame, while Dubbo has even more; 1448 to be exact.

In the district's smaller centres, Cabonne (39), Blayney (97), Cowra (50), Forbes (59), Lithgow (141), the Mid-West LGA, which includes places like Mudgee (114), Narromine (125), Oberon (86) and Parkes (186) are all still recording new cases at a steady rate.

"We aren't out of this yet and some of the predictions we are hearing about August spikes are pretty confronting," Mayor Hamling said.

Last week nine COVID deaths were recorded in the state's west, and 35 people were admitted to non-ICO hospital wards.

A spokesperson for the region's health district said: "We urge our communities to continue playing their role in reducing the spread of viral illnesses."

"Staying up to date with vaccinations, including influenza vaccines and all COVID-19 boosters you are eligible for, is the best and easiest way to do that.

"We also encourage everyone to stay prepared, to help avoid any unnecessary trips to emergency department to protect our health services and staff."