NSW's Lockdown Rules to Stay in Place for At Least 90 Days

After introducing strict new rules surrounding social-distancing on Monday night, the NSW Police has today revealed those restrictions will be in place for 90 days. At a press conference this morning, NSW Police Commissioner Michael Fuller announced it's likely they'll be lifted after this three-month period, saying "I certainly won't be seeking an extension, hopefully people will have gotten the message by then."

The new rules, introduced on Monday in a bid to contain COVID-19, stipulate that Australians should only be leaving their homes for one of four reasons: obtaining food or other goods and services, travelling for the purposes of work or education if the person cannot do it at home, exercise and medical or caring reasons. The NSW Government has also outlined another 16 reasonable excuses for leaving your home.

A nationwide two-person limit on public gatherings also began on Monday, March 30 with exceptions for being in the company of with those in your household, and for weddings and funerals, which have limits of five and ten people respectively.

In NSW, if you disobey either of these social-distancing and public-gathering rules, you can be hit with a $1000 on-the-spot fine, with the maximum penalty being a $11,000 fine and six months in jail.

In the past 24 hours, the NSW police has fined three people for not complying with the new isolation rules, including a man who was drinking alcohol in a park with three of his friends. The NSW Police said while three of the men left when asked, the fourth refused and was fined.

The Police Commissioner also reiterated that the NSW Police are using discretion when issuing these fines, but ensuring "the safety of the community" was of utmost priority. "The safest place is at home in isolation," he said.

As of 8am on Thursday, April 2, NSW had 2298 confirmed cases of COVID-19, out of 4863 cases Australia-wide.

The NSW Government's new rules on public gatherings and social-distancing are available to read here.