ALL of regional NSW will be put into lockdown from 5pm today amid concerns the COVID-19 cluster in western NSW is getting out of control.
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NSW Health is expected to make a formal announcement within the hour but multiple MPs have posted messages on their Facebook accounts confirming residents' fears.
To minimise movement and protect our communities from the evolving COVID situation in Sydney, stay-at-home orders will be introduced for all of Regional NSW from 5pm tonight.
It is understood NSW Health considered restricting the lockdown to western NSW local government areas before deciding to extend it across the state.
"To minimise movement and protect regional communities ALL of Regional NSW will go into a lockdown from 5pm tonight," deputy Premier John Barilaro tweeted.
The reasons you may leave your home include:
- Shopping for food or other essential goods and services.
- Medical care or compassionate needs (people can leave home to have a COVID-19 vaccination unless you have been identified as a close contact).
- Exercise outdoors in groups of two or fewer (unless members of the same household).
- Work, where you cannot work from home.
Schooling will be done from home in most cases.
Masks must be worn indoors (not including the home) and in outdoor settings where you cannot socially distance from others.
"No one wants to put restrictions on our communities, but safety must come first," Bathurst MP Paul Toole said. "I know this is challenging for many, but we need to continue to support one another."
NSW Health has released the restriction, including a ban on visitors from outside the household, including family and friends.
People still can have one visitor at one time to fulfil carers' responsibilities or provide care or assistance, or for compassionate reasons, including where two people are in a relationship but do not live together.
Retail premises are required to close except for:
- supermarkets and grocery shops,
- shops that predominantly sell food or drinks eg butchers, bakeries, fruit shops and delicatessens, but does not include restaurants or cafes.
- chemists and pharmacies,
- kiosks,
- shops that predominately sell office supplies, pet supplies, newspapers, magazines and stationery, alcohol, maternity and baby supplies, medical or pharmaceutical supplies.
- food and drink premises, but only to sell takeaway.
- cellar door premises, but only to sell takeaway.
- hardware and building supplies.
- landscaping material supplies.
- rural supplies.
- timber yards.
- garden centres and plant nurseries,
- vehicle hire premises, not including the premises at which vehicles are sold,
- shops that predominately carry out mobile phone repairs.
Service stations, banks, post offices, laundromats and drycleaners can remain open.
People are expected to work from home unless it is not reasonably practiceable.
There will be a one-day 'grace period' for planned weddings and funerals in the regional areas that have not already been subject to a lockdown while funerals and memorial services will be restricted to 10 people from Monday.
Special rules remain in place for the affected local government areas in Greater Sydney.
