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.
For food and drink businesses, do not include people who are ordering or collecting orders that will not be consumed on the premises.
What to include in your measurement
To work out the maximum number of people allowed on your premises at any one time, use the relevant calculation for the size of your floor space.
- Premises up to 200 square metres in total: include the whole area in your calculation.
- Premises more than 200 square metres in total: only include publicly accessible areas in your calculation. Generally, a publicly accessible area is an area where customers are allowed. This includes entry points, browsing areas and walkways, waiting rooms, and restrooms. It does not include staff-only areas such as offices.
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 4 square metres rule: 87.45 ÷ 4 = 21 people
- Maximum number of people using 2 square metres rule: 87.45 ÷ 2 = 43 people
Gatherings excluded 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.