With NSW COVID cases plummeting and the 70% double-dose vaccination target hit, new Premier Dominic Perrottet has this morning moved the state’s reopening roadmap forward, specifically:
- Brought forward the return to the classroom to 18 October, with all students due to return to face-to-face learning by 25 October.
- A maximum of 10 visitors (not counting children 12 and under) will be allowed in a home from Monday, up from five.
- The cap on outdoor gatherings will be lifted from 20 to 30 people.
- Will reopen indoor pools on Monday 11 October instead of 1 December.
- Lifted the caps on weddings and funerals from 50 to 100 from Monday 11 October.
Perrottet claims the new roadmap has the backing of Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant:
“Dr Chant is one of my favourite constituents in Epping,” he said. “We always had a great relationship”…
“I sat down with the Health Minister and Dr Chant yesterday,” he said.
“We went through some of these potential changes. We went through the opportunities to make some sensible amendments, some stable and steady amendments, to the roadmap and I think the changes today are sensible.
“And as the Health Minister has clearly pointed out, the fact that we have been incredibly successful in getting the vaccination rate up, once again I want to thank the health team here for their superb job, and at the same time we have seen case numbers decline.”
NSW will officially exit lockdown on Monday, with further restrictions to ease once the state hits 80% full vaccination:
80 per cent vaccination threshold
*Up to 20 visitors (excluding children 12 and under) will be allowed at home on the Monday after the state clears the 80 per cent double vaccination, up from 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 but with no dancing
*Masks will no longer be required in office buildings.
*All school students will return to on site learning by October 25, with the second and third stages of the return to school plan now combined. Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 12 students will still return to face-to-face learning on October 18.
Perrottet voted against the initial lockdown, so these measures are true to form.
