Covid Restrictions in NSW set to be eased on Friday as state recorded Zero cases during last 10 days

A number of Covid restrictions are set to ease across Greater Sydney and surrounding areas from 12.01am on Friday.   NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Wednesday afternoon (27)  announced the changes as the state recorded zero locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, its 10th consecutive day without a local case.

The changes will include increasing the household visitor limit to 30, increasing the outdoor gathering limit to 50, allowing 300 people at weddings and funerals subject to the four square metre rule and removing compulsory mask wearing in some indoor settings, such as retail shopping.

“It is mandatory to wear a mask on public transport. No questions asked. It is mandatory to wear a mask in a place of worship. And it’s also mandatory to wear a mask if you’re a front-facing hospitality worker. It’s also mandatory to wear a mask if you’re in a gaming venue,” she said.

At this time, the Premier said she expected all businesses would be able to revert from the four-square-metre rule to the two-square-metre rule. However Ms Berejiklian told reporters restrictions limiting venues to one person per four square metres may be revised to two square metres in a fortnight.

"We want to encourage people to go about their normal lives as much as possible. We want businesses to resume their activities so long as it's all done in a COVID-safe way," Premier Gladys Berejiklian.

"We don't know when the pandemic is going to end. But what we do know is that we have to live with it and New South Wales has always taken a very balanced approach of making sure we keep the virus under control, but that we also make sure that we keep our economy as open as possible. That's really important, moving forward."

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said mandatory mask wearing would remain in place for some high risk settings.

“We recommend people wear masks if vulnerable and can’t guarantee social distancing. We asked supermarkets and other places to consider what their staffing policy might be around masks. We’re not suggesting it is compulsory, because the contacts there are casual.”

Meanwhile Australia also recorded Zero cases of Community transmission during last 10 days. Australia’s acting Chief Medical Officer Professor Michael Kidd is providing an update to reporters and confirmed that  Australia had now marked 10 days of no community transmission.

"The last long stretch of no cases of community transmission was 12 days from December 3rd to the 14th last year," he said.

The total number of cases seen is now at 28,786.

"Over the past 10 days 100 per cent of the new cases of COVID-19 in Australia have been in overseas arrivals and all these people have been either in hotel quarantine or at the Howard Springs facility in the Northern Territory."