Premier Glads Berejiklian has announced an extended strict lockdown for areas of Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Central Coast on Saturday afternoon, as well as restrictions for regional NSW to come into effect from 6pm, and last until midnight on Friday, July 9.
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In regional NSW, mask-wearing will be compulsory in all indoor non-residential areas, including workplaces and at organised outdoor events. Venues will be required to seat all patrons, dancing will not be allowed in indoor venues or nightclubs, and four-square-metre social distancing rule will be re-introduced for all indoor and outdoor settings, including weddings and funerals. Outdoor seated, ticketed events will be limited to 50 per cent seated capacity.
The broader lockdown comes after Ms Berejiklian told residents of the seven local government areas, at the heart of the latest exposure, to "not leave Metropolitan Sydney under any circumstances" after 29 new cases were recorded to 8pm on Friday, including 17 cases which had been previously announced.
In an initial press conference Saturday morning, Ms Berejiklian said there was rapidly growing concern that cases could continue to escalate as more than half of those most-recently recorded were not in isolation during their infection period.
For the next fortnight, exercise outdoors will still be permitted in groups of no more than 10, while following social distancing guidelines, which the Premier noted "could be the only time that people are able to gather outside" during the school holidays.
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"For those parts of NSW that are not in lockdown, restrictions will still apply we want to make sure that if there have been any occasions where people unknowingly have taken the virus outside into the regions," Ms Berejiklian said.
"If we're going to do this, we need to do it properly. There's no point doing a three day lockdown and then having the virus continue to bubble away in the community."
Ms Berejiklian noted that if, after seven days, there was a "dramatic change in the trend", the state may re-evaluate the conditions, given latest health advice.
"The best health advice we have is that a two week period ... is necessary in order to make sure we get to our target of zero community transmission," Ms Berejiklian said.
Tourism operators at Nelson Bay and Port Stephens, a 2.5-hour drive north of Sydney, have felt the impact of the state's most recent COVID-19 outbreak as holidaymakers cancel plans to visit the regions in the wake of broader lockdowns for Metropolitan Sydney and restrictions for the regions announced on Saturday afternoon.
One operator told the Newcastle Herald that, after a making strong trade during Queens Birthday long weekend, the most recent public health orders have dampened spirits and left local businesses feeling the repercussions at what would otherwise be a peak season for whale watching, coinciding with school holidays and the annual Humpback migration which injects around $53 million into the Port Stephens tourism economy annually.
What you need to know:
Everyone in Greater Sydney must stay at home unless it is for an essential reason.
The reasons you may leave your home include:
- Shopping for food or other essential goods and services;
- Medical care or compassionate needs (people can leave home to have a COVID-19 vaccination unless you have been identified as a close contact);
- Exercise outdoors in groups of 10 or fewer;
- Essential work, or education, where you cannot work or study from home.
In all other parts of NSW the following restrictions will apply:
- People who have been in the Greater Sydney region (including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong) on or after June 21 should follow the stay-at-home orders for a period of 14 days after they left Greater Sydney.
- Visitors to households will be limited to 5 guests - including children;
- Masks will be compulsory in all indoor non-residential settings, including workplaces, and at organised outdoor events;
- Drinking while standing at indoor venues will not be allowed;
- Singing by audiences and choirs at indoor venues or by congregants at indoor places of worship will not be allowed;
- Dancing will not be allowed at indoor hospitality venues or nightclubs however, dancing is allowed at weddings for the wedding party only (no more than 20 people);
- Dance and gym classes limited to 20 per class (masks must be worn);
- The one person per four square metre rule will be re-introduced for all indoor and outdoor settings, including weddings and funerals;
- Outdoor seated, ticketed events will be limited to 50 per cent seated capacity.
The details of this report are developing. It will be updated.
Simon McCarthy
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
Simon McCarthy is a journalist working at the Newcastle Herald in NSW. He writes news and features, and produces video and multimedia, for the Herald and Herald Weekender magazine. He contributes regularly to the Newcastle Herald’s daily Topics column, and is the co-creator and producer of the Toohey’s News podcast. McCarthy has worked as a journalist in regional NSW since 2013. He joined the newsroom of the Newcastle Herald in 2017 from the Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he worked from 2015 to 2016.
