Restaurants, cafés and pubs across Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Wollongong areas will be restricted to takeaway from 6pm tonight, as the NSW Premier announced a 14-day lockdown in a bid to curb the city’s growing COVID-19 outbreak.
Stay-at-home orders are in place, with people only allowed to leave their homes for four reasons: for essential work or education (when work or study cannot be done at home), for compassionate needs or medical care (including to receive a COVID-19 test or vaccine), to purchase essential goods and services, and to exercise outdoors in a maximum group of 10 people.
The lockdown is expected to last until Friday 9 July, 11.59pm.
New restrictions also apply in regional New South Wales. In hospitality venues all patrons must be seated, and the four-square-metre rule applies.
The news comes as the state recorded 12 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 overnight. A total of 80 cases are linked to the Bondi cluster, with 20 of these cases linked to the birthday party in West Hoxton Park.
In a press conference this afternoon, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian flagged financial support for businesses and individuals was incoming.
“We will, as a state government in the next few days, be announcing support to businesses and also the federal government support to households kicks in at a certain time.
“So nobody should feel stressed or pressured to break any of the rules because of their financial situation.”
She also urged people not to panic buy.
“There is no curfew. You can leave your home at any stage to purchase any essential goods that you need to and that is a given.”
