What you can and can't do under the rules

Travelling to or entering NSW from interstate

Under the new public health order, anyone who has been in Victoria within the last 14 days must not enter NSW except in special circumstances. 

If they are allowed to enter NSW they may be required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Learn more about NSW border restrictions.

Visiting family and friends at home

• Up to 20 visitors may visit another household at any one time. The total number of visitors includes adults and children.
• There is no daily limit to visitors to your home, so long as you don’t have more than 20 visitors at any one time.
• If you are over 70 or have a pre-existing medical condition, you should limit the number of visitors and take care at all times.  
• You can have guests from any household so long as it does not exceed 20 visitors in total. 
• An overnight stay as part of a visit to someone’s house is allowed.
• Some people who need to attend your home will not be counted as visitors. 

People who are at higher risk of COVID-19 infection include:

• people aged 70 years and over
• people aged 65 years and over with chronic medical conditions
• people with a compromised immune system
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples 50 years and older with one or more chronic medical conditions.

If you are in one of these groups, follow the guidance for vulnerable people.

Holiday homes and holiday rentals

• There are no limitations on people who live in NSW travelling within NSW. 

• Up to 20 people may stay in a holiday home or holiday rental. More than 20 people can stay in a holiday home or holiday rental if they are all members of the same household.

• If you are visiting a national park camping ground you must book ahead.

Learn more about driving, boating and restrictions on travelling interstate or overseas.

Outdoor public gatherings

• No more than 20 people are allowed to gather outside in a public place. 

Community sports, fitness classes and major recreation facilities

Community sporting activities, including training sessions and contact activities, may recommence.

• A maximum of 20 people per class applies to gym and recreation classes such as yoga, tai chi and pilates.
• For community sporting activities that involve more than 20 participants, the organiser must have a COVID-19 Safety Plan.
  • Participants include players, people who are training, officials and spectators.
  • The maximum number of participants at a community sporting activity must not exceed 500 participants.
  • Record keeping for spectators must take place for all ticketed community sporting activities.
• Martial arts training and competition activities that are not sanctioned by the Combat Sports Authority are permitted to take place.
• Major recreation facilities must have a COVID-19 Safety Plan and are permitted to have up to 25% of normal capacity of the venue or 10,000 persons (whichever is lesser) when admission to the premises is by way of a ticket and each person has been assigned to a seating area.

Funerals, memorial services and wakes

The maximum number of people who may attend a funeral is the maximum number of people allowed on the premises, which is one person per 4 square metres.

Places of public worship, funeral homes or crematoriums can have up to 50 attendees (without the 4 square metre rule) provided non-household contacts can maintain 1.5 metres of physical distance.         

Funerals at a place of residence can have the greater of 50 people or one person per 4 square metres of space.

People attending the service will be required to supply their name and contact details so that they can be used for contact tracing.

Read common questions about attending funerals, memorial services and wakes.

Religious gatherings and places of worship

The number of people in a public place of worship must not exceed one person per 4 square metres. The maximum applies to the whole of the venue, even where men and women worship in separate areas.

Services can be streamed or recorded to enable people to engage in worship.

People attending a religious service will be required to provide their name and contact details when they enter so that they can be used for contact tracing.

The NSW Government expects that places of worship will comply with COVID-19 Safety Plan requirements to keep staff, volunteers and visitors safe. 

Develop a COVID-19 Safety Plan for your church, meeting house, mosque, synagogue, temple or another place of worship to help your community connect safely.

Weddings

The maximum number of people who may attend a wedding is the maximum number of people allowed on the premises, which is one person per 4 square metres.

Wedding services are no longer subject to separate limits, with the exception of a wedding at a place of residence, which can have the greater of 20 people or one person per 4 square metres of space.  

People attending will be required to provide their name and contact details so that they can be used for contact tracing.

Advice for wedding organisers

• If you want to have dancing at the wedding, ensure this is restricted to only the wedding couple and wedding party.
• Make sure to choose a venue that has a dancefloor area with enough space.
• Think about strategies to avoid crowding on the dancefloor and other areas such as avoiding or modifying rituals like throwing the bouquet or the Hora.
• Ensure people do not take alcoholic drinks onto the dancefloor. 

Current restrictions on businesses

All businesses can now open and operate under the one person per 4 square metre rule. 

Under the rules, employers must allow employees to work from home where it is reasonably practical to do so. 

For some types of businesses, you are required to have a COVID-19 Safety Plan. A COVID-19 Safety plan is recommended for other types of businesses. Find out about developing a COVID-19 Safety Plan for your business.

Premises requiring COVID-19 Safety Plan

Find out more about developing a COVID-19 Safety Plan to help protect your staff, customers and visitors as you get back to business.

Occupiers of the following premises are required to have a COVID-19 Safety Plan.

Schedule 1 Item No.	Premises
Item 1	Amusement centres For playing billiards, pool, pinball machines, computer or video games and other similar activities.
Item 2	Aquariums
Item 3	Auction houses
Item 4	Betting agencies
	Beauty and other services Nail, waxing and tanning salons, spas, tattoo parlours and massage parlours
Item 6	Caravan parks and camping grounds
Item 7	Casinos
Item 8	Community centres and halls
Item 9	Drive-in cinemas
Item 10	Entertainment facilities Theatre, cinema, music hall, concert hall, dance hall and similar premises
Item 11	Food and drink premises
Item 12	Food courts
Item 13	Function centres Includes conference, convention, exhibition and reception centres
Item 14	Information and education facilities Includes art galleries, museums, libraries, visitor information centres
Item 15	Markets: artisan, clothing, crafts Products sold by independent stallholders at temporary or permanent structures and includes intermittent or occasional market events
Item 16	Micro-breweries, small distilleries
Item 17	Places of public worship Building or place for religious worship
Item 18	National Trust and Historic Houses Trust properties
Item 19	Public indoor swimming pools
Item 20	Public outdoor swimming pools
Item 21	Pubs and registered clubs
Item 22	Recreation facilities (indoor) Includes squash courts, indoor swimming pools, gyms, table tennis centres, health studios, bowling alleys, ice rinks or similar recreation activities
Item 23	Recreation facilities (major) Includes theme parks, sports stadiums, showgrounds, racecourses and motor racing tracks
Item 24	Sex on premises venues Where sex between patrons is permitted
Item 25	Sex services premises (brothel)
Item 26	Strip clubs
Item 27	Vessels used for commercial scuba diving and snorkelling tours or for commercial whale, dolphin or marine animal watching tours
Item 28	Vessels used for hosting functions or commercial tours (other than tours in item 27)
Item 29	Zoos and reptile parks

Music festivals and nightclubs

• Music festivals within the meaning of the Music Festivals Act 2019 and including a music festival attended by fewer than 2000 people are not permitted.
• Night clubs are currently closed.

Record keeping and penalties

Last updated: 6 July 2020