Overview
Monday, October 11, 2021 isn't a date that Sydneysiders will forget. After more than 100 days under stay-at-home conditions, the New South Wales capital has emerged from its lengthy lockdown — under the first stage of the state's roadmap for returning to normal, which kicked in when 70 percent of NSW residents aged 16 and over received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.
If you're double-jabbed, plenty has just changed. Leaving the house whenever you like, and for whatever reason you like, is a reality again — and so is going to bars, eating at restaurants, seeing movies and more. And, this is just the first step in the plan to ease out of strict COVID-19 rules and restrictions between now and the end of the year.
Wondering what you can do? What's changed? What's still to come, and when? There's a lot happening, so we've run through what's permitted at each phase of the roadmap.
Sydneysiders, get ready to spend more time in more places with more people — just as summer hits.
AT 70-PERCENT DOUBLE VACCINATED — EFFECTIVE MONDAY, OCTOBER 11
GATHERINGS
- Having visitors to your home is permitted if all adults are double vaccinated, with up to ten double-jabbed visitors allowed. People under 12 aren't counted as visitors.
- Outdoor gatherings can have up to 30 double-vaccinated people in attendance.
EVENTS
- Weddings and funerals can have 100 double-vaccinated people in attendance.
- Dancing is permitted, but all eating and drinking must be done while seated.
HOSPITALITY
- All hospitality venues, including restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes, can now reopen for double-vaccinated patrons — with a capacity cap of one person per four-square-metres inside and one person per two-square-metres outdoors.
- Bookings are only allowed for groups of up to 20 double-jabbed people, unless it's for a wedding or funeral.
- All eating and drinking must be done sitting down.
- QR code check-in remains compulsory.
RETAIL
- All retail stores can reopen to double-jabbed customers, with a density limit of one person per four-square-metres.
- Unvaccinated people can only access stores dubbed 'critical' retail — the same stores that were able to open during lockdown.
- Personal services stores, such as hairdressers and beauty salons, can reopen for double-jabbed customers, with a density limit of one person per four-square-metres — for up to five customers at once.
ENTERTAINMENT VENUES
- Theme parks, zoos, aquariums, stadiums, showgrounds and other major recreation facilities can reopen to double-jabbed customers, with a cap of 5000 people.
- At outdoor events that are both ticketed and seated, up to 500 double-vaccinated people can attend.
- Entertainment and information facilities such as cinemas, theatres, musical halls, concert halls, dance halls, drive-in cinemas, art galleries and museums can reopen to double-jabbed customers, with a density limit of one person per four-square-metres and a 75-percent cap on fixed seating.
SPORT AND RECREATION
- Gyms can reopen to double-jabbed customers, with a density limit of one person per four-square-metres, and a class limit of 20.
- Indoor recreation facilities, such as squash courts, table tennis centres, health studios, bowling alleys and ice rinks, can also reopen to double-jabbed customers — with a density limit of one person per four-square-metres.
- Indoor pools can reopen to double-jabbed swimmers for lessons, lap swimming and rehabilitation activities.
- Outdoor pools have already reopened.
- Playing sport or exercising with your friends outside is permitted for double-jabbed folks, in groups of up to 20.
MASKS
- Everyone over the age of 12 is required to wear a mask indoors in public, in shared indoor areas in apartment buildings, and while waiting for and riding public transport.
- If you work in hospitality and deal directly with members of the public, you also need to mask up.
- Masks remain compulsory for everyone over 12 on aircraft and in airports.
TRAVEL
- The distance limit — restricting travel to your Local Government Area or within five kilometres of home — no longer applies.
- Carpooling with people you don't live with is allowed for double-jabbed folks.
- Travelling beyond Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Shellharbour and Wollongong for holidays, recreation or day trips is still not allowed.
- People who live outside of Greater Sydney are still not permitted to enter Greater Sydney for holidays, recreation or day trips.
- Caravan parks and camping grounds can reopen.
AT 80-PERCENT DOUBLE VACCINATED
GATHERINGS
- At-home gatherings can have up to 20 double-vaccinated people in attendance. People under 12 aren't counted as visitors.
- Outdoor gatherings can have up to 50 double-vaccinated people in attendance.
EVENTS
- Weddings and funerals no longer have attendee caps if everyone is double-vaccinated, but the density limit of one person per four-square-metres inside and and one person per two-square-metres outdoors applies.
- Eating and drinking while standing is allowed.
HOSPITALITY
- Eating and drinking while standing is allowed, except at nightclubs.
- Dancing is allowed both indoors and outdoors, except at nightclubs.
RETAIL
- Personal services stores, such as hairdressers and beauty salons, can keep serving double-jabbed customers, with a density limit of one person per four-square-metres — and no customer limit.
ENTERTAINMENT VENUES
- Up to 3000 double-vaccinated people can attend outdoor events that are both ticketed and seated.
- Outdoor events that aren't ticketed or seated can have 200 double-vaccinated attendees.
- Nightclubs can reopen for double-jabbed patrons, but only with seated drinking — and dancing isn't allowed.
SPORT AND RECREATION
- Community sport returns for double-jabbed folks.
MASKS
- Masks are no longer required in office settings.
TRAVEL
- Travelling anywhere within NSW is now allowed for double-vaccinated people.
ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1
GATHERINGS
- No limit on at-home gatherings for both double-vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
- No limit on outdoor gatherings for both double-vaccinated and unvaccinated people.
EVENTS
- Weddings and funerals no longer have attendee caps for either double-jabbed or unvaxxed attendees, but the density limit of one person per two-square-metres applies.
HOSPITALITY
- All hospitality venues, including restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes, can now welcome in everyone — with a density cap of one person per two-square-metres both inside and outdoors.
- Bookings for all group sizes are allowed.
- Eating and drinking while standing is allowed at all venues.
- Dancing is allowed at all venues.
RETAIL
- Retail stores can welcome in all customers.
- Personal services stores, such as hairdressers and beauty salons, can welcome in all customers — and move to a density limit of one person per two-square-metres.
ENTERTAINMENT VENUES
- Theme parks, zoos, aquariums, stadiums, showgrounds and other major recreation facilities can welcome in all patrons, with no patron caps if seated — and the one person per two-square-metres cap applies otherwise.
- Entertainment and information facilities such as cinemas, theatres, musical halls, concert halls, dance halls, drive-in cinemas, art galleries and museums can welcome in all patrons, with no patron caps if seated — and the one person per two-square-metres cap applies otherwise.
- No patron caps are required for outdoor events that are both ticketed and seated, but COVID-19 Safety Plans are needed if there'll be more than 1000 attendees.
- Nightclubs can welcome in all patrons, with a capacity cap of one person per four-square-metres.
- Both drinking while standing and dancing is now allowed at nightclubs.
- Amusement centres can now reopen, with the one person per two-square-metres density cap.
SPORT AND RECREATION
- Gyms can welcome in all patrons, and move to a density limit of one person per two-square-metres, with no class limits.
- Indoor recreation facilities can welcome in all patrons, and move to a density limit of one person per two-square-metres.
- Indoor pools can reopen for all purposes and to all patrons.
- Community sport returns for everyone.
MASKS
- Masks are only required on public transport, planes and airports — and for indoor front-of-house hospitality staff.
TRAVEL
- Travelling anywhere within NSW is allowed for all NSW residents.
- Carpooling is permitted for everyone.
For more information about the NSW roadmap out of lockdown, head to the NSW Government website.
Top image: Cassandra Hannagan.