After four months of lockdown, New South Wale's Freedom Day is finally here. Photo / Getty Images
After four months of lockdown, restrictions in NSW will ease from today.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet congratulated residents in the lead up to reopening and said Monday was a "big day" as he talked first steps in seeing some restrictions lift for those who are double-vaccinated, which include getting a haircut and going to the gym.
Ninety per cent of people over the age of 16 have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine in the state and 73.5 per cent are fully vaccinated.
"There is a sense of optimism out there with thousands of businesses across the state busy preparing to open their doors tomorrow. NSW, you've earned this," Perrottet said on Sunday.
"As we re-open after more than 100 days we ask everyone to treat staff with kindness and respect when they ask you to check-in or see your vaccination certificate.
"Following these simple measures will help keep us all safe and keep us moving forward out of the pandemic."
Vaccinated residents will be permitted to have up to 10 visitors in their homes – not including children under 12 – and the number of people allowed to attend outdoor gatherings has increased from 20 to 30.
The caps in relations to both weddings and funerals has also been lifted from 50 to 100.
What about retail and hospitality?
Hospitality businesses – pubs, restaurants and cafes – can reopen under the one person per 4 square metres rule indoors, and one person per 2 square metres outdoors.
Bookings of up to 20 people will be allowed – and those under the age of 16 who aren't vaccinated will be permitted to attend but must be accompanied by a fully vaccinated member of their household.
While masks and QR code check-ins will still be mandatory indoors, they won't be for outdoor hospitality settings. Patrons will also be allowed to partake in "vertical consumption" – standing up and drinking – in the outdoor section of a venue.
Retail will reopen to vaccinated customers with a capacity limit of one person per 4sq m, though masks and QR codes will still be required.
Haircuts are allowed
Personal services – like hairdressers, nail salons and tattoo parlours – can open with one person per 4sq m, capped at five clients at any one time.
What about entertainment and exercise?
Up to 5000 people will be allowed at theme parks, racecourses, stadiums and other major recreation facilities, though they must adhere to the 4sq m rule. As many as 500 people can attend ticketed and seated outdoor events.
And residents in the mood for a movie, museum or trip to the theatre – that's also allowed, with a 75 per cent fixed seating capacity and operation under the 4sq m rule.
Indoor swimming pools – which were set to remain closed until December 1 – will be open for "rehabilitation, children's swimming lessons, organised lap swimming and the like".
Where can residents visit from Monday?
As of Monday, there'll no longer be a 5km travel radius — and fully-vaccinated people will be allowed to travel to regional NSW, but only for essential reasons.
Sydney residents can travel unrestricted, however, to other parts of Greater Sydney — including the Central Coast, Wollongong, Shellharbour and the Blue Mountains.
Permitted reasons to travel from those areas to regional NSW include compassionate visits to family or for medical reasons. These reasons are deemed essential and will not require a permit.
Travel to regional NSW
The second stage of the state's reopening builds on the already existing freedoms — as well as throwing some other privileges into the mix.
Like the 70 per cent target, the new freedoms will kick in on the Monday after 80 per cent of those aged 16 and over have had two shots — which, at this stage, is set to happen by October 21, meaning October 25 could be the day stage two freedoms are implemented.
Potentially the most exciting development is from that (projected) date, people from Greater Sydney will be able to holiday in regional NSW again.
Up to 20 visitors will be able to gather at another person's home — not including children under 12 — and up to 50 people will be permitted to gather outdoors.
Patrons will be able to stand up and drink while indoors at a venue, though the same density limits (one person per 4sq m inside, one person per 2sq m outside) will still apply.
Masks will no longer be required indoors for the fully vaccinated — including in retail and hospitality settings, and also in offices.
There'll no longer be a cap on the number of clients in a hairdresser or nail salon — though the one person per 4sq m rule will still apply.
Community sport will also resume and nightclubs will reopen — though dancing will be banned, and patrons can only drink while seated.
Under Gladys Berejiklian's road map, all students were set to be back in schools by December.
Under the revised plan, however, all year levels will return to face-to-face learning by October 25.
Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 12 students will still head back on October 18 as planned, while everyone else will head back on October 25.
"That's great for kids. It's a major relief for parents and their sanity," the Premier said.
Once residents have had their second jab, they'll be entitled to the same freedoms as everyone who already is.
But if they aren't vaccinated at all — and don't intend to be — they'll have to wait until December 1, when they can expect to be entitled to most of the same freedoms as people who've had both doses.
At that point, there'll no longer be a limit on how many visitors are allowed in private homes or at an outdoor gathering.
And masks will only be required on public transport, on planes and at airports, for front-of-house hospitality workers.