- New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet makes some key changes to the state’s reopening plan to speed up its roadmap out of lockdown
- The changes come ahead of a promised lockdown lift on October 11, following NSW hitting its 70-per-cent vaccination rate milestone
- The new Premier has doubled the number of people allowed to attend home visits as well as guest caps on weddings and funerals
- Schools will reopen for face-to-face learning, with all students to be back in classrooms by October 25
- Further restrictions will lift once NSW reaches an 80 per cent double-dose milestone, which Mr Perrottet says will likely be in a “couple of weeks”
New South Wales’ new Premier Dominic Perrottet has made some key changes to the state’s reopening plan to speed up its roadmap out of lockdown.
The changes come after NSW hit its 70-per-cent vaccination rate milestone, prompting a promised easing of restrictions from Monday, October 11.
The state will emerge from its longstanding lockdown next week, though Mr Perrottet’s plan differs from the original 70 per cent roadmap in some important ways.
The new premier has doubled the number of people allowed to attend home visits from five to 10 as of next Monday, though this figure does not include children aged 12 and under.
Thirty people will be allowed to gather outdoors, up from 20, and caps on wedding and funeral guests have been doubled from 50 people to 100 people.
Face masks will remain mandatory for all indoor settings, but will no longer be required outdoors.
Mr Perrottet said all schools would reopen for face-to-face learning, with students in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 12 to go back to classrooms on October 18, and all other students to join them on October 25.
“That’s great for kids. It’s a major relief for parents and their sanity,” Mr Perrottet said.
Further, swimming pools will also reopen next week for lessons, squad training, lap swimming and rehab activities. Pools were previously slated to only open on December 1.
Importantly, the eased restrictions apply only to fully vaccinated people.
“Vaccinations are the key to life returning to normal, and the changes today will help family and friends reconnect, get kids back to school and get businesses back up and running sooner,” Mr Perrottet said.
“NSW is putting in the hard yards and it’s important people continue to turn out in droves to be vaccinated.”
Alongside the new set of eased restrictions from next week, Deputy Premier Paul Toole announced today workers in regional areas who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine would be allowed to return to workplaces from October 11. They will be given a grace period until November 1 to get their second jab.
What comes next?
After the state lockdown lifts on Monday, New South Wales residents will then need to wait until the state reaches an 80 per cent double-dose milestone before more rules are lifted.
Mr Perrottet said the 80-per-cent target would likely be reached within a “couple of weeks”.
The new Premier has also amended the rules for this next stage of eased restrictions, with home visit caps to rise to 20 and outdoor gathering caps to 50 once 80 per cent of New South Wales is fully inoculated.
At this stage, masks mandates will be lifted for offices, though they will remain in place for other indoor venues.
Up to 3000 people will be allowed to attend controlled and ticketed outdoor events, up from 500, and community sports will be permitted once more.
Nightclubs will also open with seated drinking, though no dancing will be permitted.
Weddings and funerals will be uncapped, though attendees will be asked to keep a distance of at least four square metres per person.
As it stands, New South Wales plans to lift almost all other restrictions at the beginning of the Christmas season.
From December 1, there will be no limits on gatherings, indoor or outdoor, and all restrictions at retail venues, restaurants, clubs, gyms, and more will lift with the exception of social distancing rules.
Mr Perrottet was sworn in as NSW Premier on Tuesday following Gladys Berejiklian’s resignation last week.