Invite five (5) of your best mates around to celebrate, because from next Friday, NSW will start easing lockdown restrictions. That includes gathos, cafes, restaurants, outdoor gyms and more.
On Sunday, Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the state would slowly start opening up again, two days after Prime Minister Scott Morrison revealed the federal government’s roadmap to recovery.
“My firm position during the crisis has been to follow the health advice and do what’s best for NSW,” Berejiklian said.
“The easing of restrictions will only be permanent if all of us take on the responsibility to respect the new set of rules we’ve put in place.
“I hope they will be permanent. I don’t want us to go backwards. But that depends on us. Be vigilant.”
From Friday, you’ll be able to have up to five guests over, and if you’re outdoors, you can hang with up to 10 people.
But unlike the previous two-visitor limit, children will be counted towards the total this time around.
The 10-person limit will also apply to cafes and restaurants, which means yes, they’re finally reopening to dine-in.
Outdoor gyms, playgrounds and swimming pools will also reopen, however there’s been no news on the indoor gym front.
Religious gatherings of up to 10 people will also be allowed, if you’re so inclined. Meanwhile, weddings of up to 20 people will be allowed. The same limit will apply to indoor funerals, while outdoor funerals can have up to 30 people.
But don’t get too excited. We’re still grappling with a global pandemic, so we still need to be cautious so as not to spread the coronavirus.
To that end, weekends away are still off the table, as is pretty much any other kind of travel. And for what it’s worth, the government is still urging people to be responsible, so it’s probably not a good idea to see how far these relatively generous new limits can be pushed.
So now’s the time to get cracking. You have until Friday to decide who your five best mates are for your first legal gatho in months.
Everyone else will have to wait until the next announcement.
