NSW COVID restrictions: Mask and guest limit rules ease for Easter

The majority of coronavirus restrictions in NSW have now ended, just in time for the Easter long weekend. Here’s what you can do.

Stadiums can be filled to the brim, revellers can dance in nightclubs and the church choirs can sing again from today.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has lifted several COVID-19 restrictions with no attendee caps on weddings and funerals, dancing now allowed in pubs, night clubs and at weddings and no caps on home visitors.

Masks are no longer mandatory on public transport. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Joel Carrett

Masks are also no longer mandatory on public transport and up to 200 people are allowed in personal outdoor gatherings while entertainment venues can operate at 100 per cent seated capacity.

All venues also move to one person per 2 sqm rule.

There is no longer a cap on the number of people allowed in homes, however if there are more than 100 people a COVID-19 safety plan must be in place and an electronic recording of the guests.

200 people will also be allowed to attended personal outdoor public gatherings.

The easing of restrictions has been welcomed by church leaders who said parishioners had missed being able to sing in Mass over the past year.

Conductor Ross Cobb with the St Andrew's Cathedral Choir at St Andrew's Cathedral in Sydney’s CBD this morning. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Rene Pulikkaseril, 9, Sam Cobb, 7, and Zev Mann, 9, of the St Andrew's Cathedral Choir rehearsing. Picture: Justin Lloyd

“I know many Catholics have missed being able to sing at mass over the past year and it’s therefore very pleasing that this weekend, just in time for Holy Week, that these restrictions on congregational singing have been removed,” Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Dr Anthony Fisher said.

“As our most sacred celebration of the year, it is particularly important for as many Catholics to be able to attend mass and other Easter ceremonies in person at this time.”

The Anglican Church’s Dean of Sydney Kanishka Raffel manages St Andrew’s Cathedral and is looking forward to welcoming singing from worshippers this Easter.

“It is a great joy to be singing again, especially at Easter time when we celebrate God‘s love for us and Jesus’s victory on the cross over sin and death,” Dean Raffel said.

“Now that restrictions have eased, we hope many will join our Easter celebrations at St Andrew‘s Cathedral. After a year of isolation and difficulty for many people, our trust in Jesus is more significant than ever and we can’t wait to sing about it.”

Originally published as NSW COVID restrictions: Mask and guest limit rules ease for Easter