Stay at home orders officially finished in Yass Valley at 12:01am on Tuesday September 28. This applies to anyone who has been in the Yass Valley LGA from September 9.

Masks must still be worn indoors at non-residential premises but schools and hospitality venues are set to reopen.

Since Yass Valley is no longer subject to stay-at-home restrictions, you can travel to other areas that are not under stay-at-home restrictions.

However, you must have a reasonable excuse to enter a stay-at-home area (including Greater Sydney and regional stay-at-home areas). If you enter a stay-at-home area for any reason, stay-at-home rules will apply to you for 14 days after you were last in that area.

This means that you will need to stay at your place of residence for 14 days, even if it is in a regional area that is not subject to stay-at-home restrictions, unless you have a reasonable excuse.

Medical Appointments

You can travel into a stay-at-home area to go to a medical appointment or get vaccinated if you:

  • Travel by private vehicle
  • Travel alone or with one other person who must also follow these rules
  • Travel using the most direct route practical
  • Do not stay overnight
  • Do not enter other premises other than the one where you have a medical appointment or are getting vaccination.
  • Essential shopping

Essential Shopping

You can enter a stay-at-home area to buy groceries that you can’t get within your area.

Travelling through a stay-at-home area without stopping

You can travel through a stay-at-home area as long as you don’t stop at any venues.

At your home

You can have up to 5 visitors in your home at any one time but there is no daily limit to visitors. Members of the hosting household are not counted as a visitor and overnight stays as a part of a visit to someone’s house is allowed.

This limit does not include children 12 and under.

Going out

You can visit retail stores, beauticians and hair salons while following the one person per 4 square metre rule.

You can visit hospitality and entertainment venues while following the one person per 4 square metre rule indoors, and the one person per 2 square metre rule outside.

Schools

Schools will reopen following the COVID-19 safety measures for schools in NSW.

Indoor exercise

Gyms and indoor recreation facilities can operate so long as they comply with the 1 person per 4 square metre rule.

Gyms can have up to 20 people attend a group class.

Indoor recreation facilities can have up to 20 people attend group dance classes.

Sporting facilities including swimming pools can reopen.

Working

Employers must allow an employee to work from home if the employee is reasonably able to do so.

If you cannot work from home and you go to your workplace that is allowed to be open, you must wear a face mask (unless an exemption applies).

If you cannot work from home and you go to your workplace, follow the rules for wearing a face mask.

Weddings, funerals and places of worship

Wedding, funerals and memorial services can be held.

The maximum number of people that can attend is the lesser of:

  • 1 person per 4 square metres or
  • 50 people.
  • At weddings, dancing is allowed for the bridal party only (no more than 20 people).

Churches and places of worship can open subject to relevant COVID safety plans, limited to the one person per 4m2 rule. Singing is not permitted.

Hospitality

You can visit hospitality venues such as cafes, restaurants and pubs.

You must be seated when consuming alcohol in an indoor area of hospitality venues.

Theatres, cinemas, music and concert halls

The maximum number of persons at these venues in Greater Sydney is the greater of

  • 75% of the seating capacity, or
  • one person per 4 square metres.

If you are relying on a percentage of the seating capacity, you must ensure that each person has a ticket and is allocated a specific seat.

You must wear a face mask when attending outdoor seated events.

Outdoor gatherings

The maximum number of people allowed at the following outdoor gatherings are as follows:

  • 500 people for a controlled outdoor public gathering.
  • A controlled outdoor public gathering is a gathering that:
    • is enclosed or bounded by a fence or barrier
    • can only be accessed by way of a ticket
    • at which all people (other than staff) are assigned to a specific seat or seating area.
  • 50 people for a COVID-19 safe outdoor public gathering.
  • A COVID-19 safe outdoor public gathering is a gathering for which:
    • a COVID-19 Safety Plan has been developed and is complied with; a copy of the plan is kept at the premises where the event is held; and, the plan is made available for inspection by an authorised officer or police officer.
  • 20 people for any other outdoor public gathering.

This would include, for example, gatherings for exercise or outdoor recreation.

Any specific restrictions that apply to premises at which any of the above gatherings are held also need to be complied with.

Face masks

You must wear a face mask when you are indoors at non-residential premises and in certain outdoor areas.

These include places such as:

  • an indoor workplace, such as an office
  • public transport waiting areas
  • a gym class, dance class or group activity of 5 or more people.

You do not need to wear a face mask when you are:

  • eat or drinking
  • doing strenuous exercise
  • communicating with a person who is deaf or hard of hearing
  • at a school as a student
  • engaging in some types of work where you need to see a person’s mouth
  • requested to remove your face mask as a part of a security check
  • at a correctional centre, place of custody, or hospital as a patient
  • a resident at an aged care facility
  • a guest in a hotel/motel room and in your room
  • in the process of getting married
  • working alone in an office (until another person enters)
  • in a vehicle alone or with another person from your household

If you have been in a stay-at-home area or local government area of concern in the past 14 days, you must wear a face mask outside and in indoor areas of common property until it has been 14 days since you have left the stay-at-home area or local government area of concern.

Major recreation facilities: stadiums, showgrounds, theme parks, racecourses and motor racing tracks 

The maximum number of persons at these venues is the lesser of:

 Singing 

Singing by audiences at indoor shows or by congregants at indoor places of worship is not allowed.

You may only sing in non-residential indoor premises if:

  • the singers are performers and they are performing or rehearsing
  • the premises are an educational establishment
  • it is part of a singing lesson.
  • it is at a wedding service or gathering after a wedding service.

 Dancing 

Dancing is not allowed at indoor venues such as hospitality venues or nightclubs. Hospitality venues include casinos, food and drink premises, micro-breweries, small bars, pubs, and clubs.

Dancing can take place in group classes at gyms or indoor recreation facilities.

For weddings, dancing is allowed for the bridal party only (no more than 20 people).

 Holiday homes and holiday rentals  

For a holiday home or short-term rental in some parts of regional and rural NSW:

  • the square metres rules do not apply
  • up to 5 people may stay in a holiday home or holiday rental (unless those people are from the same household)
  • a gathering at a holiday home or holiday rental is limited to 5 visitors.

If you are the occupier of a holiday home or short term rental, it is your responsibility to ensure that no more than 5 people use the holiday home or short term rental at any one time (unless they are from the same household).

As a visitor to a holiday home or short term rental, it is your responsibility to ensure you do not visit a holiday home or short term rental if there are more than 5 visitors there.

Visiting regional and rural NSW from Greater Sydney

If you live in Greater Sydney you must not enter regional and rural NSW without a reasonable excuse.

Please be aware that the Central Coast and Shellharbour local government areas are now part of regional NSW.  If you need to leave Greater Sydney to enter either the Central Coast or Shellharbour local government areas then you may need to register for travel.

Travel to regional NSW from Greater Sydney for any of the following reasons is only allowed if you are registered.

If you are:

  • an authorised worker from one of the local government areas of concern
  • (other than authorised worker (construction workers) who are not eligible for regional travel registration as they are only able to work at a construction site in Greater Sydney)
  • inspecting real estate in regional NSW and you genuinely need a home to live in (not an investment property)
  • travelling to your second home and you are:
    • using the home for work accommodation
    • need to undertake urgent maintenance, repairs, or attend to animal welfare (in which case, only one person may travel to the second home).

 Current restrictions on businesses 

Check the COVID-19 Safety Plan that applies to your business for guidance on:

If changes have been introduced for your industry since you last prepared a COVID-19 Safety Plan, see the latest version for new requirements.