The new NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet, has announced amendments to the NSW roadmap to recovery where the current restrictions will be eased in 3 stages:
STAGE 1 October 11th
The beginning of restrictions will be eased for fully vaccinated people. Hospitality, gyms, non-essential retail and personal services such as hairdressers will be allowed to reopen at one person per four square metres.
- Up to 10 people will be allowed to visit a person’s home and outdoor gatherings will be limited to 30 people.
- Up to 100 people can attend weddings and funerals.
Indoor pools will re-open for swimming lessons, squad training, lap swimming, and rehabilitation activities.
Choirs of up to 10 people can perform in places of worship.
- It is at this point the five-kilometre radius travel rule will also be scrapped and the rules will apply to people living in all areas, including local government areas of concern. However, the move to allow regional travel has been pushed back to Stage 2.
Stadiums, theme parks and zoos will reopen to up to 5000 people, subject to density limits, while up to 500 people can attend ticketed and seated outdoor events.
- People in regional areas will be able to holiday in other regional areas.
- People who live in Greater Sydney (including the Central Coast, Wollongong, Shellharbour and the Blue Mountains) who are fully vaccinated will be allowed to travel into the regions from Monday for any reason except for a holiday, some of those reasons might include for work, inspecting property or caring for people. They will not be able to holiday in the regions until the Monday after the 80 per cent vaccination target has been reached.
STAGE 2 after 80 per cent full vaccination:
Further restrictions will be eased for fully vaccinated people.
- People will be allowed to have up to 20 people (not including children 12 and under) over to visit, community sport will kick off again.
- Masks will no longer be required in office buildings (people who aren’t vaccinated will still need to wear them).
- People will be able to have up to 20 visitors (excluding children aged 12 and under) in their home (previously it was 10 people).
- Up to 50 people will be allowed to gather outdoors (previously it was 20 people).
- Up to 3,000 people will be allowed to attend controlled and ticketed outdoor events (previously the limit was 500 people).
- Nightclubs will be permitted to reopen for seated drinking only (no dancing).
- Most venues will still have strict one person per four square metres density limits in place.
- All school students expected to be back in the classroom by October 25th.
- Regional travel for holiday purposes to commence.
STAGE 3 December 1st:
Restrictions will be eased further, yet remain.
- Unvaccinated and vaccinated people will be treated equally.
- There will be no limit on the number of visitors to a home and density limits for hospitality, retail, gyms and personal services such as hairdressers will increase to one person per two square metres.
- There will be no limit on the number of people who can attend informal outdoor gatherings, while planned events for more than 1000 people will be required to submit a COVID safe plan.
- Working from home will be at an employer’s discretion and mask wearing will only be mandatory on public transport and planes, at airports and for front-of-house hospitality workers.
- Major recreation outdoor facilities including stadiums, racecourses, theme parks and zoos can operate with one person per two square metres.
Written by Adam Byrnes
Principal Immigration Lawyer