New Covid-19 restrictions in NSW: 10km rule, funerals, exercise limited

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced tough new restrictions for NSW, including one particularly ‘heartbreaking’ new rule.

NSW has imposed tough new restrictions in greater Sydney as local coronavirus infections continue to grow.

The Delta variant of the virus has proven a tough challenge for authorities and Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the current restrictions weren’t enough to stop the spread.

Starting at 5pm on Friday, the following new rules will be in place:

• No more than two people gathering outside, including for exercise
• No travelling outside one’s local government area or more than 10km from home for exercise or outdoor recreation
• No carpooling with people outside the household.

NSW Health said if the entire group is from the same household, the group doing the outdoor activity can be larger than two. In that case, no people from outside the household can join the exercise.

Commenting on the 10km rule, a NSW Health spokeswoman said: “This means people must stay within their LGA, but they can also cross LGA borders as long as they do not travel further than 10km from their home.

“This acknowledges the pragmatic reality that many people live in close proximity to LGA borders and their closest park may be in a neighbouring LGA.”

The rule about staying in one’s local government area and within a 10km radius only applies to exercise, not other essential reasons for leaving home, the spokeswoman said.

From Sunday, the following rule will be in place:

• No more than 10 people in total at funerals.

NSW has imposed tough new restrictions in greater Sydney as local coronavirus infections continue to grow. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

Ms Berejiklian also clarified only one person from each household would be allowed to go shopping for essential goods.

The rest of the rules will be the same, including those in regional NSW.

That means people living in greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong can only leave home for four reasons until at least one minute before midnight, Friday, July 16:

• For essential work, or education, where you cannot work or study from home
• Exercise outdoors in groups of two or fewer
• Medical care or compassionate needs. (People can leave home to have a Covid-19 vaccination unless you have been identified as a close contact)
• Shopping for essential goods and services

Nobody will be allowed to visit another person’s home until the lockdown is lifted.

Ms Berejiklian signalled the lockdown would be extended if the number of people who were positive in the community wasn’t reduced to zero by then.

That announcement came after the state reported 44 new community cases, including 29 that had been infectious in the community.

Ms Berejiklian said there didn’t necessarily need to be a complete lack of positive cases to lift the lockdown, just that there couldn’t be any people who had risked spreading it to others.

“Please, do not think that the NSW government thinks we can live with (the virus spreading in the community) when our rate of vaccination is only at 9 per cent,” she said.

“Because if we chose to live with this while the rates of vaccinations are at 9 per cent we will see thousands and thousands of hospitalisations and deaths.”

Ms Berejiklian said the new funeral rule in particular was “heartbreaking”.

“I apologise in advance to all those families going through such a difficult time but, unfortunately, we have no option,” she said.