When NSW eases restrictions in December 2021
Restrictions will ease when NSW reaches 95% double vaccination or on 15 December, with changes including:
- No density limits for all settings
- COVID safety plans will be optional for businesses
For all people in NSW, regardless of your vaccination status
Masks and QR codes
- Masks will only be required on public transport and planes, at airports, and for indoors front-of-house hospitality staff who are not fully vaccinated. Masks will be strongly encouraged in settings where you cannot social distance.
- Masks no longer required in outdoor settings.
- COVID-19 Safe check-ins only required for hospitals, aged and disability care facilities, gyms, places of worship, funerals or memorial services, personal services (including sex services), pubs, small bars and registered clubs, nightclubs, strip clubs, sex on premises and indoor music festivals with over 1,000 people.
Visiting family and friends
- No limit to number of visitors in your home.
- No limit to number of people for outdoor public gatherings.
- All visitors to residents in aged care facilities and disability homes permitted in line with their policies.
Exercise and recreation
- No person limit in gyms, indoor recreation and sporting facilities.
- Indoor swimming pools open for all purposes.
- Community sports permitted for all staff, spectators and participants.
Schools
- Students already returned to face-to-face learning.
Shopping and personal services
- Non-critical retail reopens to all.
- No person limit for personal services (including hairdressers, spas, beauty and nail salons, tattoo and massage parlours).
- Sex services premises open.
Restaurants and hospitality
- No person limit in hospitality venues.
- Singing and dancing is permitted indoors and outdoors for all.
- Drinking indoors and outdoors may be seated or standing.
Working from home
- Employers allow staff to work from home at their discretion.
Travel and transport
- Travel between Greater Sydney and regional NSW permitted for all.
- Carpooling permitted for all.
- Caravan parks and camping grounds remain open (including for people who are not fully vaccinated).
International travel
- International travellers who are fully vaccinated no longer need to quarantine on arrival. They must do a PCR test, be recognised as fully vaccinated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) and have their vaccination status certified by the Commonwealth.
- International travellers who are not fully vaccinated still need to quarantine on arrival for 14 days. Limit on number of arrivals will apply.
Events and entertainment
- No person limit for major recreation facilities (including stadiums, theme parks and race courses), subject to 100% of fixed seated capacity.
- No person limit for entertainment facilities (including cinemas and theatres), subject to 100% of fixed seated capacity.
- No person limit for information and education facilities (including art galleries, museums and libraries).
- No person limit for outdoor public gatherings and recreation.
- Nightclubs, strip clubs and sex on premises venues open.
- Music festivals reopen with 20,000 person limit.
- Amusement centres and play centres open to all.
- Proof of vaccination only required for indoor music festivals with over 1,000 people and cruises with over 100 passengers.
Weddings and religious services
- Weddings permitted with no person limit, eating and drinking allowed while standing and dancing permitted.
- Funerals permitted with no person limit, and eating and drinking allowed while standing.
- Singing and dancing indoors permitted by all.
- Places of worship open to all.
About the roadmap
The roadmap may be fine-tuned as NSW Health monitors the COVID-19 situation over the coming weeks.
Local government areas may be subject to different rules and restrictions in line with Public Health Orders.
