Good news for all you club rats: NSW is set to ease a bunch of restrictions in the coming week, including *that* controversial singing and dancing ban.
Starting Friday 18 February, all density rules will be lifted from hospitality venues, and singing and dancing will be back on the table. Well, not literally on the table. Unless you really wanna get wild.
QR code rules are also changing, according to the ABC, with now only nightclubs and music festivals requiring mandatory check-ins — everywhere else is an optional check-in, if they even have QR code displayed.
Work from home rules will change too (this one, at least for some of us, is not wonderful news). While you aren’t legally required to get back to the office stat, it’s essentially up to your employer’s discretion.
I personally do NOT miss the chaos commutes I used to make every day. Especially not right now, when NSW’s transport system is still working on a reduced timetable. WFH for a few days a week is honestly the future.
Anyway, those aren’t all the restrictions being eased in NSW.
From next Friday, February 25, face masks will no longer be mandatory in all indoor settings — just in high risk settings like public transport, hospitals and aged care facilities.
However, they’re still encouraged (thank God), especially in places like retail settings where it’s kinda hard to socially distance from others.
Considering NSW is still recording almost 10,000 COVID cases a day, we really shouldn’t be getting complacent about mask wearing.
NSW COVID-19 update – Thursday 17 February 2022
In the 24-hour reporting period to 4pm yesterday:
– 95.6% of people aged 16+ have had one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine
– 94.2% of people aged 16+ have had two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine pic.twitter.com/ebUCsrw4Lp— NSW Health (@NSWHealth) February 16, 2022
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said in the coming weeks he’ll be trying to get public service workers back into the office, and unfortunately for you WFH stans, he expects other employers to do the same. Boooo.
“These changes are measured and proportionate to the circumstances we find ourselves in and are particularly due can I say to the efforts of everybody across our state,” he said, applauding the public.
“Can I say where we were sitting when we brought out those scenarios in our health system and the capacity within our health system, we are tracking incredibly well.”
I mean, the nurse strikes that were held this week to protest the government’s lack of support for frontline workers during the pandemic would probably argue otherwise, but go off I guess.
Anyway friends, have fun but stay safe, and remember to get your booster!
