Update on restrictions
27 January 2021
Following the announcement by the Premier on 27 January 2021, restrictions will be changing across the Greater Sydney region from Friday 29 January 2021.
The changes will affect the number of visitors allowed at a residence, outdoor gatherings and capacity limits at weddings, funerals and some venues. There are also changes to the requirements for wearing a face mask.
Read the latest update on COVID-19 restrictions.
Restrictions for Greater Sydney area
Check the venue restrictions that apply to the Greater Sydney area including the Blue Mountains, Northern Beaches, Central Coast and Wollongong.
Responsibilities of occupiers
Occupiers of premises must follow the rules to calculate the capacity of a venue if required by safety plans issued under the public health orders.
The square metres rules do not apply to premises that are
- places of residence
- caravan parks and camping grounds
- holiday homes and short-term rentals
- certain commercial vessels or
- certain essential gatherings.
Learn more about what you can and can't do under the rules.
How the rules work
The rules help to determine the maximum number of people who can be on a premises. It does not determine the distance between people.
Physical distancing means reducing the close physical contact we have with people and staying 1.5 metres away from people we don't live with.
NSW Health recommends physical distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19. People living in the same household do not need to be 1.5 metres from each other.
Occupiers of premises should consider how their COVID-19 Safety Plan will allow customers to practice physical distancing.
For community safety, encourage physical distancing
Calculating the number of people for the size of your premises
Who to include in your calculations
When you are working out the maximum number of people allowed on the premises, do not include people who are
- working on the premises
- on the premises because of an emergency.
For food and drink businesses, do not include people who are ordering or collecting orders that will not be consumed on the premises.
Maximum number of people
An occupier of premises must not allow more than 25 people on the premises if the size of the premises is insufficient to ensure at least 2 square metres of space for each person.
This rule does not apply to a place of residence, holiday home or short-term rental or exempt gatherings.
See the capacity rules outlined for specific activities and premises in the COVID-19 Safety Plans including
- gyms
- entertainment facilities, being cinemas, theatres, concert halls and drive-in cinemas
- nightclubs
- major recreation facilities
- vessels used for commercial tours for scuba diving, snorkelling or whale, dolphin or marine animal watching
- caravan parks and camping grounds.
What to include in your measurement
In calculating the space available for each person on any premises, only the areas that are open to the public are to be included in the calculations.
Calculate your area
- Measure the length of your space.
- Measure the width of your space.
- Multiply the length by the width to calculate the area in square metres.
- Divide the area of your space (calculated in square metres) by 4 to calculate the maximum number of people allowed.
| Number of people | 2 square metres Minimum space required |
4 square metres Minimum space required |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 square metres | 4 square metres |
| 10 | 20 square metres | 40 square metres |
| 20 | 40 square metres | 80 square metres |
| 30 | 60 square metres | 120 square metres |
| 40 | 80 square metres | 160 square metres |
| 50 | 100 square metres | 200 square metres |
| 60 | 120 square metres | 240 square metres |
| 70 | 140 square metres | 280 square metres |
| 80 | 160 square metres | 320 square metres |
| 90 | 180 square metres | 360 square metres |
| 100 | 200 square metres | 400 square metres |
Example
- Length = 8.25 metres
- Width = 10.6 metres
- Square metres: 8.25 x 10.6 = 87.45
- Maximum number of people using 2 square metres rule: 87.45 ÷ 2 = 43 people
- Maximum number of people using 4 square metres rule: 87.45 ÷ 4 = 21 people
COVID-19 Safety Plans
Gatherings exempted from the square metres rules
The square metres rules do not apply to normal operations for the following activities and premises which are considered essential gatherings.
- Airports
- Transport, including in vehicles or at truck stops, stations, platforms or stops or other public transport facilities
- Hospitals and other medical or health service facilities
- Emergency services and emergency services training
- Prisons, correctional facilities, youth justice centres or other custody facilities
- Disability or aged care facilities
- Courts and tribunals
- Parliament
- Supermarkets, grocery stores, shopping centres and markets that mostly sell food, but not other retail businesses
- Office buildings, farms, factories, warehouses, commercial vessels (excluding vessels providing tours or hosting functions or parties), commercial fishing operations, mining or construction sites
- Schools, universities, other educational institutions or childcare facilities, excluding events that involve members of the community in addition to staff and students
- Hotels, motels or other accommodation facilities
- Outdoor space for the purposes of transiting through the place such as Pitt Street Mall or Parramatta Square
- Food banks and other services that assist vulnerable and homeless people
- Early education and care facilities
For more detail, see the public health orders.