New Gathering Restrictions for Homes and Indoor Venues Have Been Announced for Greater Sydney
And they come into effect tonight.
Over the past few months, with COVID-19 cases remaining low, New South Wales has been loosening its coronavirus restrictions. But, due to the new northern beaches cluster, the state is now tightening up its rules in an effort to contain the spread. That has seen quite a few things change rather rapidly since Friday, December 18 — including today, Sunday, December 20, with Premier Gladys Berejiklian announcing new restrictions for Greater Sydney.
Presently, the northern beaches local government area is in lockdown until 11.59pm on Wednesday, December 23 — and residents of the rest of the city have been asked to avoid non-essential activities across the same period. Now, Premier Berejiklian has advised that new public health orders are coming into effect from 11.59pm tonight, Sunday, December 20, regarding at-home gatherings and hospitality venues. Yes, they'll cap how many people can be in either type of space. And, they'll be in place for the Greater Sydney area, including the Blue Mountains and Central Coast.
First, the news that might change your festive celebrations. If you're keen to have folks over to your house, that's being capped at ten people — and runs through until midnight on Wednesday. So, if you're getting merry in someone's home in the lead up to Christmas, you'll now need to scale down your plans.
At all other indoor settings other than the family home — which includes hospitality venues — the one-person-per-four-square-metre rule is back in effect until further notice. That's changing from one person per two square metres, so it's basically halving the amount of people who can be inside in a venue. Also, a cap of 300 people will apply, even if a large space can hold more than that and still abide by the density requirement.
Singing and chanting are also off the cards at indoors venues. Obviously, that's going to affect Christmas festivities, too. And, dance floors have been nixed again — other than at weddings, where a maximum of 20 people from the bridal party can still cut a rug.
The restrictions are being put back in place as New South Wales reports 30 new local cases — including 28 that have already been directly linked to the Avalon cluster — plus six acquired from overseas. The aim of the new caps is to limit the spread of COVID-19 across Sydney, including via further seeding events as folks spend more time together indoors in the lead up to Christmas.
Sydneysiders are also asked to continue to frequently check NSW Health's long list of locations and venues that positive coronavirus cases have visited over the past week — and, if you've been to anywhere listed on the specific dates and times, get tested immediately and self-isolate for 14 days after your visit.
In terms of symptoms, Sydneysiders should be looking out for coughs, fever, sore or scratchy throat, shortness of breath, or loss of smell or taste — and getting tested at a clinic if you have any.
For more information about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website.
Top image: Stix, Cassandra Hannagan.
