At the media briefing held at 11m on July 9, 2021, NSW Premier Gladys Berjeklian has announced further restrictions to be in place. In addition, to the announcement on Wednesday, July 7, that the lockdown originally set to end on Friday, July 9, is to be extended to Friday, July 16, the new restrictions are:
From 5:00pm today in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shoalhaven:
- People will be able to exercise only in groups of two (or with their households)
- People may not exercise more than 10km from their homes
From Sunday, the number of mourners at funerals will be capped at 10.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian stressed the importance of strict lockdown measures to avoid deaths.
"This is the opposite of where we need or want the numbers to trend," she said.
"Do not think that the NSW Government thinks we can live with this when our rate of vaccination is only at 9 per cent."
Ms Berejiklian said several new social distancing restrictions will be introduced to combat the state’s COVID-19 outbreak.
Chief health officer Kerry Chant said this outbreak is now at its "challenging" point.
"I know that this has been a long journey in the fight against COVID but we cannot stumble over this hurdle," she said.
"This is an incredibly challenging time and I want to stress I am incredibly concerned. I need all members of the community to follow the public health advice."
The NSW Directive stipulates:
You should not have visitors to your home, other than for essential caring reasons, if you’re in Greater Sydney (including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour areas).
Socialising isn’t a reasonable excuse to have visitors or leave home.
If you need care or assistance (including personal care), you should limit your visitors to one person.
We understand that it’s hard, but we cannot visit family and friends right now. Once one person has COVID-19, we are quickly seeing many of their close contacts infected as well.
Use social media, phone and video calls to stay in touch instead. It’s vital that everybody stays home unless it is absolutely essential to leave the house.
A reasonable excuse is if you need to
- obtain food or other goods and services
- for the personal needs of the household or for other household purposes (including pets)
- for vulnerable people
- if the food or goods and services are not available in the local government area that you live in
- travel for work or education if it is not possible to do it at home
- exercise and take outdoor recreation in Greater Sydney
- go out for medical or caring reasons, including obtaining a COVID-19 vaccination
- donate blood
- access childcare
- continue existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children
- attend a funeral
- provide care or assistance (including personal care) to a vulnerable person or to provide emergency assistance
- access social services, employment services, services provided to victims (including as victims of crime), domestic violence services, and mental health services
- move to a new place of residence, or between your different places of residence
- undertake legal obligations
- avoid injury or illness or to escape the risk of harm
- in case of emergencies
- for compassionate reasons, including where two people are in a relationship but do not necessarily live together
- to provide pastoral care if you are a priest, minister of religion or member of a religious order.
Taking a holiday is not a reasonable excuse.
(Source: Additional restrictions for NSW | NSW Government )