Map: Greater Sydney

If you are in the local government areas of Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta Strathfield or some suburbs of Penrith, go to the local government areas of concern (Sydney) to show a distance of 5km.

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Stay at home rules

Includes the Blue Mountains and Wollongong

If you live in, usually work in, or usually attend a university or other tertiary education facility in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong local government areas, stay at home rules apply.

If you have left Greater Sydney

Stay at home rules apply if you were in Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour on or after Monday 21 June 2021,

You must follow the stay at home rules for 14 days from the date you left the area.

Reasonable excuse to leave home

A reasonable excuse is if you need to

• obtain food or other goods and services
  • for the personal needs of the household or for other household purposes (including pets)
  • for vulnerable people
  • only one person per household may leave the home to obtain food or other goods and services each day (you may take a dependent person with you if that person cannot be left at home on their own)
  • the goods and services must be obtained within the local government area where you live, or within 5km of where you live, but not in an area of concern; unless the goods or services, or their equivalent, are not reasonably available within the local government area where you live, or within 5km of where you live.
• leave home to go to work if
  • you cannot reasonably work from home and
  • the business is allowed to be open and
  • you comply with relevant rules for COVID-19 tests for Sydney workers.
• leave home for education if it is not possible to do it at home
• exercise and take outdoor recreation within your local government area or, if you need to cross into another local government area, stay within 5km of your home
• go out for medical or caring reasons, including obtaining a COVID-19 vaccination.

See the list of other reasonable excuses.

Moving house

A reasonable excuse is if you need to

• move to a new place of residence within Greater Sydney or
• move between different places of residence within Greater Sydney or
• inspect a potential new place of residence within Greater Sydney.

It is a reasonable excuse for you to

• travel to a different place of residence outside Greater Sydney if
  • you are moving for work, and other people (such as the people you live with) do not move with you or
  • the movement is for urgent maintenance or repairs or animal welfare and only one person moves to the other place of residence to attend to the urgent need
• inspect a potential new place of residence outside Greater Sydney if you have a genuine intention to move to and live at the new place of residence as soon as practicable (not an investment property) or
• are moving to a new place of residence outside Greater Sydney.

From 21 August 2021, you need a permit issued by Service NSW in order to move between residences, relocate or inspect a residence outside Greater Sydney.

It is a reasonable excuse to:

• supervise or facilitate a business moving to new premises.

See the list of other reasonable excuses.

Rules for when you leave your home

Travelling by car

You may only travel in a car with other people that you live with, unless it is for

• an emergency
• a compassionate reason
• to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person
• the car is being used as a taxi or rideshare.

You are allowed to share the car with a person you do not live with (carpool) if you are

• required to use a vehicle for your work (for example, if you are a police officer working in a team of 2 people)
• travelling with your nominated visitor (“singles bubble”) to exercise outdoors.

Shopping

• Stay within your local government area. You can cross into another local government area if it is within 5km of your home and it is not a local government area of concern (unless the food or goods or services or their equivalent are not reasonably available locally).
• If travelling by a private vehicle (car), do not share a car with other people you do not live with.
• Only 1 person per household may leave their home each day to shop for food or other goods and services.
• You may take a dependent person with you if that person cannot be left at home on their own.
• Go directly to and from the shops to get what you need. Do not spend time looking at other things.

Exercise and outdoor recreation

• Stay within your local government area. If you need to cross into another local government area, you must stay within 5km of your home.
• If travelling by a private vehicle (car), do not share a car with people you do not live with, except your nominated visitor (“singles bubble”).
• You can exercise with 1 other person that you do not live with, or your nominated visitor (“singles bubble”).
• If you live with more than 2 other people, you can all go out together for exercise.

Proof of address and not following the stay at home rules

You must carry proof of your address if you

• have left your home for a reasonable excuse
• are exercising outdoors or have left your home for outdoor recreation, or
• have a reasonable excuse and are leaving Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong local government areas.

You must show your proof of address if asked by the NSW Police.

• You may be asked to return to your home by the NSW Police if the police have a reasonable suspicion you are not complying with the stay at home rules.
• You must return home as soon as is reasonably practicable if NSW Police request you to return home.
• You must provide true and accurate information to NSW Police if they ask you to return to your home.

Penalties may also apply if you do not follow the stay at home rules, without a reasonable excuse.

Other reasonable excuses

It is also considered a reasonable excuse to leave your home if you need to

• donate blood
• access childcare
• continue existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children
• attend a funeral or memorial service that complies with the rules for funerals and memorial services
• provide care or assistance (including personal care) to a vulnerable person or to provide emergency assistance
  • 2 people may visit a residence for carers’ responsibilities or to provide care or assistance at any one time, if 2 people are required for care to be provided safely. A child who is a dependant of a carer can also visit, if the child requires supervision and childcare arrangements are not reasonably available.
• access social services, employment services, services provided to victims (including as victims of crime), domestic violence services, and mental health services
• undertake legal obligations
• avoid injury or illness or to escape the risk of harm
• in case of emergencies
• for compassionate reasons, including where two people are in a relationship but do not necessarily live together
• to provide pastoral care if you are a priest, minister of religion or member of a religious order
• gathering at Parliament for the purpose of its normal operations.

Taking a holiday is not a reasonable excuse.

Working from home

In Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong local government areas, employers must require an employee to work from home if the employee is reasonably able to do so.

Businesses that do not require employees to work from home if they are reasonably able to do so face a fine of up to

• $10,000 for corporations and
• $2,000 for individuals.

If you cannot work from home and you go to your workplace that is allowed to be open, you must wear a face mask (unless an exemption applies).

If you go to your workplace, follow the rules for wearing a face mask.

Face masks

You must wear a face mask

• when you are outside in a public place including
  • on a street or at a park
  • queuing outside a cafe or shop to collect take away food or drink
  • walking on a street near shop fronts
• in all indoor areas of non-residential premises, including workplaces
• if you are on public transport or in a public transport waiting area
• if you are working in a hospitality venue
• in indoor and outdoor areas of construction sites, except when an exemption applies such as when
  • wearing a face mask creates a safety issue or
  • there is a worksite emergency
• when working in an outdoor area.

There are limited exceptions, such as where you are in a vehicle with members of your household or your nominated visitor (‘singles bubble’), when exercising and in emergencies.

Common indoor areas in residential buildings

You must wear a fitted face mask when you are in an indoor area of common property in a residential building that is

• strata titled
• community titled or
• company titled.

You do not need to wear a mask inside your own apartment.

Common areas where you must wear a mask include

• a shared foyer or lobby of an apartment block
• lifts, stairwells and corridors
• shared laundry facilities.

Masks must be worn by anyone entering including

• residents and visitors
• building managers, concierge staff and cleaners
• people providing goods and services including tradespeople and contractors
• people delivering food, mail and parcels.

Learn more about face mask rules.

Permit for work in an area of concern

From 28 August 2021, you will need a permit issued by Service NSW to enter an area of concern for work. You do not need a permit for the provision of an emergency service.

Visiting Greater Sydney

You must not enter Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong without a reasonable excuse.

Find out more about other reasonable excuses for

• visiting Greater Sydney
• travelling to Greater Sydney for the COVID-19 vaccination.

Related information

• Travel to and from NSW
• Interstate travellers
• Common questions: Travel and holidays

COVID-19 travel registration

From 12:01am, Saturday 21 August 2021, if you live in Greater Sydney, you will need to register when travelling outside of Greater Sydney.

Register to travel

Effective from the beginning of Saturday 21 August 2021, those who live in the Local Government Areas of the Central Coast and Shellharbour must now follow the rules for regional and rural NSW.

Visitors to a residence

Generally, visiting another person is not a reasonable excuse to leave your home.

You must not allow a person to visit your home, except if it is

• for permitted work
• for childcare
• to give effect to arrangements between parents and children under 18 or their siblings
• to assist a person to move places of residence
• to avoid an injury or serious risk of harm
• because of an emergency
• to view or inspect property to lease or purchase it.

Socialising isn’t a reasonable excuse to have visitors or leave home unless you live on your own. If you do live on your own, your nominated visitor can visit you.

Nominated visitor (‘singles bubble’)

If you live alone – which means there are no other adults who live in the same home – you can have a nominated visitor.

You do not need to register your nominated visitor.

A nominated visitor is one person you can socialise with at your place of residence who

• can only be one person (and their dependent children, if there are no alternative care arrangements)
• can visit you on more than one occasion
• is not a nominated visitor for another person
• lives in or is staying in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong local government areas
• does not live in or is not staying in the local government areas of concern (Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield or some suburbs of Penrith).

Caring and compassionate visits

You are allowed to visit a home – and have a person visit your home – for caring and compassionate reasons including

• providing care to vulnerable people
• visiting a person you are in a relationship with but do not live with.

Only one person may visit a place of residence at any one time to

• provide care or assistance to vulnerable people and/or
• for compassionate reasons.

Two people may visit a place of residence to fulfil carers’ responsibilities but only if

• two people are required to provide safe care to a person who is vulnerable or if two people are required for care to be provided safely.

You may bring a dependent child with you, if they need supervision and childcare arrangements are not reasonably available.

When visiting, you may be asked to provide information to NSW Police about your visit. You must comply with all other requirements of the rules.

Temporary or holiday accommodation

If you are staying in temporary accommodation in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong – including in short-term or holiday accommodation – you may stay at your accommodation until your booking expires.

When your booking expires, you may leave your accommodation to return to

• your place of residence or
• other accommodation.

While you are staying in your temporary or holiday accommodation, you must continue to comply with the stay at home rules.

Auctions for real estate and other goods, and open inspections or real estate

The following activities must not take place in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.

• Auctions that people attend in person, including for real estate, furniture and antiques.
• Open inspections of properties, although inspections may be conducted by private appointment for one person only.
• Auctions may take place for food supply, livestock, fibre or crops.

You must follow the stay at home rules if you are a real estate agent or a prospective purchaser of real estate and you live in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.

If you are a real estate agent or a prospective purchaser and you do not live in, usually work in, or usually attend a university or other tertiary education facility in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong, the NSW rules apply.

Children and parenting

Under the stay at home rules, it is a reasonable excuse to leave your home to drop off or pick up children from early childhood education and care services, regardless of where your childcare service is located.

Find out about the COVID-19 safety measures at NSW schools.

• Department of Education: advice for families
• Early childhood education and care services

Related information

• Common questions about children and parenting.

Worship, weddings and funerals

Places of worship

A place of worship must not be open to members of the public.

Services may be live-streamed from a church, meeting house, mosque, synagogue, temple or other place of worship that is not open to members of the public.

You can attend the premises if you are directly involved in the service or the operation of the equipment for the live-stream event.

Find out about the rules that apply to singing in a place of public worship during a live-streamed event.

Weddings

You cannot

• enter Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong to hold or attend a wedding
• leave your place of residence to attend a wedding if you live in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.

Funerals and memorial services

Number of people

A maximum of 10 people can attend a funeral or memorial service or gathering afterwards in Greater Sydney.

The 10 person maximum also applies to an outdoor funeral, memorial service or gathering afterwards. A funeral cannot occur at a place of residence.

In addition to the 10 people attending the service there may also be

• a person conducting the service
• other people who are necessary for the preparation and conduct of the service.

Who can attend

Attending a funeral or memorial service is a reasonable excuse to leave home and to enter Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.

People from Greater Sydney can only leave their place of residence to attend a funeral, memorial service or gathering afterwards outside of Greater Sydney if they are

• a spouse (including de facto), parent, child or sibling of the deceased
• and there are not more than 10 people present (excluding the people conducting the service).

People from Greater Sydney can only leave their place of residence to attend a funeral, memorial service or gathering afterwards outside of Greater Sydney if they are a spouse (including de facto), parent, child or sibling of the deceased.

Outdoor gatherings

Gatherings limited to 2 people

If you are in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong, you must not participate in an outdoor public gathering of more than 2 people, unless you are:

• working at a premises that is permitted to be open if you cannot work from home
• attending a university or other tertiary education facility if you cannot study from home
• providing care or assistance to vulnerable persons
• gathering with other people in your household
• providing emergency assistance to a person
• fulfilling a legal obligation
• moving home or moving your business to a new premises.

Community sport

You can take part in exercising or outdoor recreational activities that

• comply with the gathering rules (no more than 2 people outdoors)
• are not held at premises required to be closed.

No community sport (training or matches) is allowed in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.

See the advice on sport and recreation.

Renovations and construction

If you or your business is affected by the COVID-19 restrictions, financial and other assistance is available to eligible applicants. See the COVID-19 Support Package.

Find out about the rules and restrictions for

• work carried out at homes where people are living: renovations, repairs, maintenance and cleaning
• construction activity.

Places that are closed

Closure of retail businesses

Most retail premises in Greater Sydney including the Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong are closed to the public.

Financial and other assistance is available. See the COVID-19 Support Package.

Businesses that can be open

Businesses providing essential products and services that can be open include

• supermarkets
• grocery stores including
  • butchers, bakeries, fruit and vegetable, seafood
  • other food or drink retailers that predominantly sell or display food or drinks
• kiosks and other small food and drink premises
• petrol stations
• banks and financial institutions
• hardware, building supplies
• landscaping material supplies
• agricultural and rural supplies
• shops that, in the normal course of business, operate as or sell and display
  • pet supplies
  • newsagents
  • office supplies
  • chemists providing health, medical, maternity and baby supplies or
  • liquor stores
• post offices
• garden centres and plant nurseries
• vehicle hire premises, not including the premises at which vehicles are sold;
• shops that predominantly carry out repairs of mobile phones
• laundromats and drycleaners.

‘Click and collect’ and home delivery

Businesses may continue to operate if they provide goods and services to customers that are

• ordered by phone or internet
• delivered to customers
• collected by customers.

A ‘click and collect’ service can also be used by customers to return or exchange goods by prior arrangement either by phone or internet.

Businesses may continue to operate if they provide goods and services to customers and follow the requirements for

• wearing of face masks
• check-in requirements (for example, using QR codes).

Places closed to the public

The following places in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains and Wollongong are directed to be closed to the public.

• Retail premises, except for limited exceptions.
• Pubs and registered clubs except for
  • selling food or beverages for people to consume off-site and
  • providing accommodation, including allowing food and drinks to be consumed in a person’s room.
• Food and drink premises, except for
  • selling food or beverages for people to consume off-site
  • selling food to be consumed in a person’s room if in a hotel or motel
  • if the premises are part of a shopping centre, selling food or beverages for people to consume outside of the shopping centre
  • holding a funeral or memorial service that complies with the rules for funerals and memorial services.
• Entertainment facilities, such as theatres, cinemas, music halls, concert halls and dance halls.
• Amusement centres, such as places to play billiards, pool, pinball machines or video games.
• Micro-breweries or small distilleries holding a drink on-premises authorisation under the Liquor Act 2007 or cellar door premises, except for selling food or beverages for people to consume off the premises.
• Indoor recreation facilities such as squash courts, indoor swimming pools, gyms, table tennis centres, health studios, bowling alleys and ice rinks.
• Places of public worship, except for the purposes of conducting a funeral service or memorial service that complies with the rules for funerals and memorial services.
• Hairdressers, spas, nail salons, beauty salons, waxing salons, tanning salons, tattoo parlours, massage parlours.
• Auction houses (except for an auction for food supply, or a livestock, fibre or crop auction)
• Betting agencies and gaming lounges
• Markets, except for food markets
• Caravan parks and camping grounds, except for
  • permanent residents or other people who have no other place of permanent residence, and their visitors
  • people who were staying there on Friday 25 June 2021 and have not extended their booking
  • local workers and overnight travellers.
• Sex on premises services
• Sex services premises
• Strip clubs
• Public swimming pools (except natural swimming pools, which may open)
• National Trust properties and Historic Houses Trust of NSW properties (other than retail shops)
• Nightclubs
• Casinos, except for selling food or beverages for people to consume off-site and providing accommodation, including allowing food and drinks to be consumed in a person’s room.

Exemptions

Your premises may stay open if it is

• used to provide a service to vulnerable people (such as a food bank or homeless shelter)
• being used by or on behalf of, a Local Health District, Statutory Health Corporation, the Health Administration Corporation or the Ministry of Health as a vaccination clinic or vaccination hub, but only when it is being used for this purpose
• an early education and care facility
• used for a funeral or memorial service that complies with the rules for funerals and memorial services.

If your premises is permitted to stay open under the public health order, you must follow the rules in place including

• the square metres rules
• face masks rules
• mandatory check-in (for example, using QR codes)
• ‘click and collect’ and home delivery.

Exempted gatherings

Exemption from the one person per 4 square metres rule

All premises in Greater Sydney that are not closed must comply with the one person per 4 square metres rule, except for the following exempted gatherings.

• Gathering at an airport
• Transportation including vehicles, truck stops, stations, platforms and stops but not including vehicles being used as a party bus
• Hospitals or other medical or health service facilities
• Emergency services
• Prisons, correctional facilities, youth justice centres or other places of custody
• Disability or aged care facilities
• Courts or tribunals
• Supermarkets, food markets or groceries
• Shopping centres
• Retail stores
• Farms, mines, commercial fishing operations and commercial vessels (excluding vessels providing tours or hosting functions)
• Schools, universities, other educational institutions and childcare facilities
• Hotel, motel or other accommodation facilities
• Outdoor thoroughfares
• Services to assist vulnerable members of the public
• Early education and care facilities

Places that are allowed to be open must follow the relevant rules including

• the wearing of face masks
• having a COVID-19 safety plan and
• mandatory electronic check-in (QR codes).