Public health orders have been issued to protect the community and reduce the spread of COVID-19 infection.
Stay at home
You must stay at home unless you are going to
work (where you can’t work remotely)
school or an educational institution
shop for food and essentials
get medical care or supplies
exercise. NOTE: Part 2 Movement 5 Direction of Minister concerning staying at home Taking a holiday in a regional area is not a reasonable excuse (SEE EXTRACT of order BELOW)
You may only leave home with a reasonable excuse, including to
avoid injury or illness or escape a risk of harm
deal with emergencies or on compassionate grounds
access childcare
provide care or assistance (including personal care) to a vulnerable person or to provide emergency assistance
attend a wedding or funeral (subject to 5 and 10 person limits)
move to a new place of residence, or between your different places of residence
donate blood
undertake legal obligations
access social services, employment services, services provided to victims (including as victims of crime), domestic violence services, and mental health services
continue existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children for children who do not live in the same household as their parents or one of their parents
go to a place of worship or to provide pastoral care if you are a priest, minister of religion or member of a religious order.
Note: Reasonable Excuses (source)
Note (4) above Taking a holiday in a regional area is not a reasonable excuse.
Penalties for breaching orders
Breach of orders made under the Public Health Act 2010 is a criminal offence and attracts heavy penalties.
In the case of an individual, the maximum penalty is $11,000, or imprisonment for 6 months, or both and a further $5500 penalty may apply for each day the offence continues. The NSW Police may also issue on-the-spot fines of $1000 for an offence.
In the case of any corporation, the maximum penalty is $55,000 and a further $27,500 penalty may apply for each day the offence continues.
Rules for gatherings, public places and businesses
Two person gathering rule
Do not gather with more than 2 people in public, except for gatherings with members of the same household.
This rule does not apply to a gathering:
for work purposes
where the gathering consists only of members of the same household
for a wedding or funeral (which are subject to 5 and 10 person limits)
to facilitate a move to a new place of residence
to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person
to provide emergency assistance, or
which is an essential gathering described below.
Your place of residence is not considered a public place.
For places and businesses that can remain open
In a place that may remain open to the public, occupiers and operators of the premises must not:
allow persons to enter or stay on the premises (whether outdoor or indoor) if the size of the premises is insufficient to allow for 4 square metres of space for each person (the 4 square metre rule)
allow 100 or more people to enter and stay on indoor premises at the same time (the 100 person rule), and
allow 500 or more people to enter and stay on outdoor premises at the same time (the 500 person rule).
The 4 square metre rule and the 100 person and 500 person rules do not apply to an essential gathering.
Certain retail stores (including those in shopping centres) are required to follow the 4 square metre rule. Retail stores are not subject to the 100 person rule.
Essential gatherings
Gatherings for the normal business of the following places are essential gatherings
airports
transportation (including vehicles, stations, platforms and stops)
hospitals or other medical or health service facilities
emergency services
prisons, correctional facilities, youth justice centres or other places of custody
disability or aged care facilities
courts or tribunals
Parliament
supermarkets, food markets or grocery stores
shopping centres
retail stores
office buildings, factories, mines, farms and constructions sites
schools, universities, other educational institutions and child care facilities
hotel, motel or other accommodation facilities
outdoor thoroughfares.
Where a place can remain open, all people should follow NSW Health advice about social distancing and personal hygiene and always try to maintain 1.5 metres from all other people at all times. Individuals are responsible for following this advice to protect themselves but also to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 disease.
Weddings and funerals
Restrictions apply to the number of people who can attend weddings and funerals at places of worship, with:
5 people only for weddings
10 people only for funerals.
Businesses, places and services that are open, closed or restricted
Accommodation
Crisis and temporary accommodation
Disability or aged care facilities
Hotels, motels or other accommodation
Youth hostels
Education and childcare
Childcare facilities are not required to close, so if your centre is open you can still take your children.
Schools remain open, however parents are encouraged to keep their children home where possible. No child will be turned away from a school in NSW.
TAFE and educational colleges
Universities
Food and beverages
Bottle shops
Healthcare
Call ahead if you have any coronavirus symptoms or are feeling unwell.
Chemist
Doctors and medical centres
Hospitals
Physiotherapy
Shopping
You may leave your house to obtain food or other goods or services for the personal needs of your household, or other household purposes (including for pets) or for vulnerable persons.
Shopping centres
Supermarkets and convenience stores
Volunteering
You may leave your house if needed in your role as a volunteer for a charity.
Foodbanks and homeless shelters have not been closed under the Orders.
Work
You can go to work if you cannot work from home. This includes volunteer work.
Construction sites
Factories
Farms
Mines
Office buildings
These restrictions are enforceable under the Public Health (COVID-19 Restrictions on Gathering and Movement) Order 2020, effective 31 March 2020.
