Specific Local Government Areas (LGAs) in New South Wales (NSW) who have not reported new COVID-19 cases in the past 14 days are coming out of lockdown. Stay-at-home orders are now lifted in Bega, Blayney, Bogan, Cabonne, Dungog, Forbes, Muswellbrook, Narrabri, Parkes, Singleton, Snowy Monaro and Upper Hunter LGAs.
Updated COVID-19 restrictions in these LGAs
The following rules will apply for LGAs where stay-at-home orders are lifted:
- Restaurants, bars and hospitality venues can reopen. There is a capacity limit of one person per four square metres indoors and one person per two square metres outdoors. People are permitted to stand while drinking outdoors.
- Retail stores can reopen with a capacity limit of one person per four square metres.
- Cinemas, musical halls, theatres and similar indoor entertainment facilities can reopen with a capacity limit of one person per four square metres or 75 percent of the venue’s seating capacity.
- Weddings are permitted to have up to 50 guests. Eating and drinking are allowed while seated, dancing is permitted.
- Funerals are permitted to have up to 50 guests. Eating and drinking are allowed while seated.
- Stadiums, theme parks, racecourses, zoos and other large recreation outdoor facilities can reopen with a capacity limit of one person per four square metres, for up to 5,000 people.
- Ticketed and seated outdoor events can host up to 500 people.
- Masks are mandatory for all indoor public venues, including retail and business premises and front-of-house hospitality. Hospitality staff are required to wear masks outdoors. Children under 12 are exempted from wearing masks indoors.
Albury and Lismore back to lockdown
Stay-at-home orders are reinstated for Albury and Lismore LGAs for one week starting at 6 pm on Thursday, September 16. People in these LGAs must stay at home unless they are going out for essential reasons such as food shopping, getting medical care, getting vaccinated or going to work when working from home is not possible.
Residents in these LGAs are permitted to attend outdoor gatherings of up to five people for outdoor recreation or exercise given that those participating are fully vaccinated and are 16 years old or older.
The Australian Institute of Food Safety (AIFS) closely follows COVID-19 developments as they occur across the country that affect food businesses and will continue to provide updates as they occur.