Many NSW school children will return to the classroom earlier than expected and a raft of other restrictions will be eased earlier than previously announced under changes to the state’s roadmap to freedom revealed by Premier Dominic Perrottet.
The changes include a doubling in the household visitor cap and an increase in the number of people allowed to gather outside, as NSW prepares for “freedom day” on Monday when pubs, restaurants, gyms and shops will reopen.
It comes as NSW hit its first major milestone of 70 per cent double dose vaccinations yesterday afternoon, which prompted a meeting of the NSW crisis cabinet.
Key roadmap changes
All roadmap freedoms at 70% and 80% will continue to be for fully vaccinated people only
Changes to 70 per cent roadmap (Monday, October 11)
- up to 10 visitors (not counting children 12 and under) to a home (previously five)
- the cap on outdoor gatherings lifted to 30 people (previously 20)
- increase the cap for weddings and funerals to 100 people (previously 50)
- indoor pools will be re-opened for swimming lessons, squad training, lap swimming, and rehab activities
Changes to the 80 per cent roadmap (First Monday after 80 per cent milestone reached)
- people able to have up to 20 visitors (excluding children 12 and under) to a home (previously 10)
- up to 50 people will be allowed to gather outdoors (previously 20)
- up to 3,000 people will be allowed to attend controlled and ticketed outdoor events (previously 500)
- nightclubs will be permitted to reopen for seated drinking only (no dancing)
- masks will no longer be required in office buildings
Schools
- All school students will return to on site learning with a range of COVID-safe measures in place by October 25
- Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 12 students will still return to face-to-face learning on October 18
Regional
- workers in regional areas who have received one vaccination dose will be permitted to return to their workplace from October 11 and will be given a grace period until November 1 to receive their second dose. Regional areas are those outside Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Wollongong, Shellharbour and the Central Coast.
All the changes from Monday will continue to only apply to fully vaccinated people.
