Overview
The Greater Sydney region has already spent more than a fortnight under lockdown to help combat the region's latest COVID-19 outbreak and, despite an end date of July 16 being announced, that doesn't look like stopping any time soon. In fact, restrictions have been tightening as case numbers keep tightening. The latest rule to get a tweak: wearing face masks.
Effective today, Tuesday, July 13, folks in the Greater Sydney area — which includes the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour — will need to wear masks in all common areas in residential buildings. That covers apartment complex lobbies, foyers, lifts, stairwells, corridors and shared laundries, and applies whether you live there or you're a visitor. Basically, the only place you don't need to mask up is actually inside your own home, once you've passed through your own front door.
Residents of these regions are already required to cover up in all indoor non-residential settings, as well as indoors in public settings, and on public transport. Again, unless you're at home — and actually inside your own home, not in common areas outside — you need to mask up indoors.
Folks in Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour are currently only permitted to leave the house for four specific essential reasons: to work and study if you can't do it from home; for essential shopping; for exercise outdoors; and for compassionate reasons, which includes medical treatment, getting a COVID-19 test and getting vaccinated.
As it always does, NSW Health has been updating the COVID-19 venues of concern list, and will continue to do so as more places keep being identified. Anyone who has visited these venues during the times specified are required to get tested and self-isolate as per NSW Health's instructions.
To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in NSW, head to the NSW Health website. For more information about the current mask rules, head to the NSW Government website.