Map: Greater Sydney

Enter an address to show a distance of 10km on the map.

If you are in the local government areas of Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Liverpool or Parramatta, go to the local government areas of concern (Sydney) to show a distance of 5km.

Stay at home rules

Includes the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour

If you live in, usually work in, or usually attend a university or other tertiary education facility in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas, stay at home rules apply.

Go to the rules for your local area

Local government areas of concern (Sydney)

Regional and rural NSW

If you have left Greater Sydney

Stay at home rules apply if you were in Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour on or after Monday 21 June 2021,

You must follow the stay at home rules for 14 days from the date you left the area.

Reasonable excuse to leave home

A reasonable excuse is if you need to

• obtain food or other goods and services
  • in your local government area, within 10km of your home, if reasonably practicable
  • for the personal needs of the household or for other household purposes (including pets)
  • for vulnerable people
  • only one person per household may leave the home to obtain food or other goods and services each day (you may take a dependent person with you if that person cannot be left at home on their own). 
• leave home to go to work if
  • you cannot reasonably work from home and
  • the business is allowed to be open and
  • you comply with relevant rules for COVID-19 tests for Sydney workers. 
• leave home for education if it is not possible to do it at home
• exercise and take outdoor recreation within your local government area or up to 10km from your home. 
• go out for medical or caring reasons, including obtaining a COVID-19 vaccination.

See the list of other reasonable excuses.

Rules for when you leave your home

Travelling by car

You may only travel in a car with other people that you live with, unless it is for 

• an emergency
• a compassionate reason
• to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person
• the car is being used as a taxi or rideshare.

You are allowed to share the car with a person you do not live with (carpool) if you are

• required to use a vehicle for your work (for example, if you are a police officer working in a team of 2 people)
• travelling with your nominated visitor to exercise outdoors.

Shopping

• Stay within your local government area or within 10km of your home (unless the food or goods and services are not reasonably available locally). 
• If travelling by a private vehicle (car), do not share a car with other people you do not live with.
• Only 1 person per household may leave their home each day to shop for food or other goods and services.
• You may take a dependent person with you if that person cannot be left at home on their own.
• Go directly to and from the shops to get what you need. Do not spend time looking at other things.

Exercise and outdoor recreation

• Stay within your local government area or within 10km of your home.
• If travelling by a private vehicle (car), do not share a car with people you do not live with, except your nominated visitor.
• You can exercise with 1 other person that you do not live with, or your nominated visitor.
• If you live with more than 2 other people, you can all go out together for exercise.

Proof of address

You must carry proof of your address if you

• have left your home for a reasonable excuse
• are exercising outdoors or have left your home for recreation, or
• have a reasonable excuse and are leaving Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas.

You must show your proof of address if asked by the NSW Police.

Other reasonable excuses

It is also considered a reasonable excuse to leave your home if you need to

• donate blood
• access childcare
• continue existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children
• attend a funeral or memorial service that complies with the rules for funerals and memorial services
• provide care or assistance (including personal care) to a vulnerable person or to provide emergency assistance
  • only 1 person may visit a residence to provide care at any one time
• access social services, employment services, services provided to victims (including as victims of crime), domestic violence services, and mental health services
• move to a new place of residence, or between your different places of residence
• undertake legal obligations
• avoid injury or illness or to escape the risk of harm
• in case of emergencies
• for compassionate reasons, including where two people are in a relationship but do not necessarily live together
• to provide pastoral care if you are a priest, minister of religion or member of a religious order
• gathering at Parliament for the purpose of its normal operations.

Taking a holiday is not a reasonable excuse.

Working from home

In Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas, employers must require an employee to work from home if the employee is reasonably able to do so.

Businesses that do not require employees to work from home if they are reasonably able to do so face a fine of up to

• $10,000 for corporations and
• $2,000 for individuals.

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 go to your workplace, follow the rules for wearing a face mask.

Face masks

In Greater Sydney, when you leave home, you must carry a face mask with you at all times. 

You must wear a face mask:

• in all indoor areas of non-residential premises
• at certain outdoor gatherings
• if you are on public transport
• in a major recreation facility such as a stadium
• if you are working in a hospitality venue
• in indoor and outdoor areas of construction sites, except when an exemption applies such as when
  • wearing a face mask creates a safety issue or
  • there is a worksite emergency
• when working in an outdoor area.

Face masks must be worn at indoor or outdoor areas of a fresh food market including: 

• Sydney Markets at Flemington Markets
• Sydney Fish Markets. 

Common indoor areas in residential buildings

You must wear a fitted face mask when you are in an indoor area of common property in a residential building that is

• strata titled
• community titled or
• company titled.

You do not need to wear a mask inside your own apartment.

Common areas where you must wear a mask include

• a shared foyer or lobby of an apartment block
• lifts, stairwells and corridors
• shared laundry facilities.

Masks must be worn by anyone entering including

• residents and visitors
• building managers, concierge staff and cleaners
• people providing goods and services including tradespeople and contractors
• people delivering food, mail and parcels. 

Learn more about face mask rules. 

Visiting Greater Sydney

You must not enter Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour without a reasonable excuse.

Find out more about other reasonable excuses for

• visiting Greater Sydney
• travelling to Greater Sydney for the COVID-19 vaccination.

Related information

• Travel to and from NSW
• Interstate travellers
• Common questions: Travel and holidays

Visitors to a residence

Generally, visiting another person is not a reasonable excuse to leave your home.

You must not allow a person to visit your home, except if it is

• for permitted work 
• for childcare
• to give effect to arrangements between parents and children under 18 or their siblings
• to assist a person to move places of residence
• to avoid an injury or serious risk of harm
• because of an emergency
• to view or inspect property to lease or purchase it.

Socialising isn’t a reasonable excuse to have visitors or leave home unless you live on your own. If you do live on your own, your nominated visitor can visit you.

Nominated visitor

If you live alone – which means there are no other adults who live in the same home – you can have a nominated visitor. 

A nominated visitor is one person you can socialise with at your place of residence who

• can only be one person
• can visit you on more than one occasion
• is not a nominated visitor for another person
• lives in or is staying in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas
• does not live in or staying in the local government areas of Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Liverpool, Georges River or Parramatta.

Caring and compassionate visits

You are allowed to visit a home – and have a person visit your home – for caring and compassionate reasons including

• providing care to vulnerable people
• visiting a person you are in a relationship with but do not live with. 

Only one person may visit a place of residence at any one time to

• fulfil carers’ responsibilities
• provide care or assistance to vulnerable people and/or
• for compassionate reasons.

You may bring a dependent child with you, if they need supervision and childcare arrangements are not reasonably available.

When visiting, you may be asked to provide information to NSW Police about your visit.

Temporary or holiday accommodation

If you are staying in temporary accommodation in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour – including in short-term or holiday accommodation – you may stay at your accommodation until your booking expires.

When your booking expires, you may leave your accommodation to return to

• your place of residence or
• other accommodation.

While you are staying in your temporary or holiday accommodation, you must continue to comply with the stay at home rules.

Real estate auctions and open inspections

The following activities must not take place in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour.

• Auctions that people attend in person.
• Open inspections of properties, although inspections may be conducted by private appointment for one person only.

You must follow the stay at home rules if you are a real estate agent or a prospective purchaser and you live in, usually work in, or usually attend a university or other tertiary education facility in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour.

If you are a real estate agent or a prospective purchaser and you do not live in, usually work in, or usually attend a university or other tertiary education facility in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour, the NSW rules apply.

Children and parenting

Under the stay at home rules, it is a reasonable excuse to leave your home to drop off or pick up children from early childhood education and care services, regardless of where your childcare service is located. 

Find out about the COVID-19 safety measures at NSW schools. 

• Department of Education: advice for families
• Early childhood education and care services

Related information

• Common questions about children and parenting.

Worship, weddings and funerals

Places of worship

A place of worship must not be open to members of the public.  

Services may be livestreamed from a church, meeting house, mosque, synagogue, temple or other place of worship that is not open to members of the public.

You can attend the premises if you are directly involved in the service or the operation of the equipment for the livestream event. 

Find out about the rules that apply to singing in a place of public worship during a livestreamed event.

Weddings

You cannot

• enter Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour to hold or attend a wedding
• leave your place of residence to attend a wedding if you live in, usually work in, or usually attend a university or other tertiary education facility in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour.

Funerals and memorial services

Number of people

A maximum of 10 people can attend a funeral or memorial service or gathering afterwards in Greater Sydney.

The 10 person maximum also applies to an outdoor funeral, memorial service or gathering afterwards. A funeral cannot occur at a place of residence.

In addition to the 10 people attending the service there may also be

• a person conducting the service
• other people who are necessary for the preparation and conduct of the service.

Who can attend

Attending a funeral or memorial service is a reasonable excuse to leave home and to enter Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour.

People from Greater Sydney can only leave their place of residence to attend a funeral, memorial service or gathering afterwards outside of Greater Sydney if they are a spouse (including de facto), parent, child or sibling of the deceased.

Outdoor gatherings

Gatherings limited to 2 people

If you are in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour, you must not participate in an outdoor public gathering of more than 2 people, unless you are:

• working at a premises that is permitted to be open if you cannot work from home
• attending a university or other tertiary education facility if you cannot study from home
• providing care or assistance to vulnerable persons
• gathering with other people in your household
• providing emergency assistance to a person
• fulfilling a legal obligation
• moving home or moving your business to a new premises
• gathering for a funeral or memorial service that complies with the rules for funerals and memorial services.

Community sport

You can take part in exercising or outdoor recreational activities that 

• comply with the gathering rules (no more than 2 people outdoors)
• are not held at premises required to be closed.

No community sport (training or matches) is allowed in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour.

See the advice on sport and recreation.

Renovations and construction

Renovations, repairs, maintenance, and cleaning

The rules in relation to the renovation of homes where people are living and repairs, maintenance and cleaning are changing from Saturday 31 July 2021. 

Find out more about home renovations, repairs, maintenance and cleaning. 

Financial and other assistance is available. See the COVID-19 Support Package. 

Construction activity

Until the beginning of Thursday 29 July 2021, work at construction sites in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas, is not to be carried out unless the work is urgently required

• to ensure the safety or security of the construction site
• to deal with environmental risks
• to maintain and ensure the integrity of critical plant, equipment or assets, including partially completed works, that would otherwise deteriorate
• to receive deliveries of supplies that would otherwise deteriorate
• to maintain public utilities
• to ensure the safe operation of existing transport infrastructure
• by or on behalf of NSW Health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
• because of an emergency.

Preparation for restart

From the beginning of Thursday 29 July 2021, work and activities in preparation for construction work at construction sites in Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas (but excluding the Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool and Parramatta local government areas) may be carried out including:

• checking or maintaining installations and equipment
• cleaning, waste removal or waste management
• stocktaking or restocking
• delivery of materials or equipment
• servicing or installation of amenities
• relocation on the construction site of plant or equipment
• issuing permits or certificates 
• establishing COVID Safe arrangements or procedures
• erecting fencing or hoarding
• inspections, including for
  • technical reasons, or
  • safety, including work, health and safety, or
  • for valuations or other financial reasons
• removing water 
• connecting power, fuel or services
• safety work, including work related to fire safety or electrical safety
• surveying or marking out 
• training required to be carried out on the construction site.

Construction resumed

From the beginning of Saturday 31 July 2021, work at constructions sites in Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour local government areas (but excluding sites in the Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool and Parramatta local government areas) will be permitted to resume with each site required to have a  COVID-19 Safety Plan.

Local government areas of concern

Restrictions apply to the local government areas of Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool and Parramatta for

• work at construction sites
• workers who live in the local government areas of Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool and Parramatta. 

Find out about the Local Government areas of concern (Sydney).

Financial and other assistance is available. See the COVID-19 Support Package. 

Places that are closed

Closure of retail businesses

Most retail premises in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour are closed to the public.

Financial and other assistance is available. See the COVID-19 Support Package. 

Businesses providing essential products and services that can be open include

• supermarkets
• grocery stores including
  • butchers, bakeries, fruit and vegetable, seafood
  • other food or drink retailers that predominantly sell or display food or drinks
• kiosks and other small food and drink premises
• petrol stations
• banks and financial institutions
• hardware, building supplies
• landscaping material supplies
• agricultural and rural supplies 
• shops that, in the normal course of business, operate as or sell and display
  • pet supplies
  • newsagents
  • office supplies
  • chemists providing health, medical, maternity and baby supplies or
  • liquor stores
• post offices
• garden centres and plant nurseries
• vehicle hire premises, not including the premises at which vehicles are sold;
• shops that predominantly carry out repairs of mobile phones
• laundromats and drycleaners.

‘Click and collect’ and home delivery 

Businesses may continue to operate if they provide goods and services to customers that are 

• ordered by phone or internet 
• delivered to customers 
• collected by customers.

A ‘click and collect’ service can also be used by customers to return or exchange goods by prior arrangement either by phone or internet.

Businesses may continue to operate if they provide goods and services to customers and follow the requirements for

• wearing of face masks
• check-in requirements (for example, using QR codes).

Places closed to the public

The following places in Greater Sydney including the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, Wollongong and Shellharbour are directed to be closed to the public.

• Retail premises, except for limited exceptions.
• Construction sites
  • unless the work is urgently required or
  • from Thursday 29 July 2021 for preparatory work unless the site is in the local government areas of Blacktown, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool or Paramatta.
• Pubs and registered clubs except for
  • selling food or beverages for people to consume off-site and
  • providing accommodation, including allowing food and drinks to be consumed in a person’s room.
• Food and drink premises, except for
  • selling food or beverages for people to consume off-site
  • selling food to be consumed in a person’s room if in a hotel or motel
  • if the premises are part of a shopping centre, selling food or beverages for people to consume outside of the shopping centre
  • holding a funeral or memorial service that complies with the rules for funerals and memorial services.
• Entertainment facilities, such as theatres, cinemas, music halls, concert halls and dance halls.
• Amusement centres, such as places to play billiards, pool, pinball machines or video games.
• Micro-breweries or small distilleries holding a drink on-premises authorisation under the Liquor Act 2007 or cellar door premises, except for selling food or beverages for people to consume off the premises.
• Indoor recreation facilities such as squash courts, indoor swimming pools, gyms, table tennis centres, health studios, bowling alleys and ice rinks.
• Places of public worship, except for the purposes of conducting a funeral service or memorial service that complies with the rules for funerals and memorial services.
• Hairdressers, spas, nail salons, beauty salons, waxing salons, tanning salons, tattoo parlours, massage parlours.
• Auction houses
• Betting agencies and gaming lounges
• Markets, except for food markets
• Caravan parks and camping grounds, except for
  • permanent residents or other people who have no other place of permanent residence, and their visitors
  • people who were staying there on Friday 25 June 2021 and have not extended their booking
  • local workers and overnight travellers.
• Sex on premises services
• Sex services premises
• Strip clubs
• Public swimming pools (except natural swimming pools, which may open)
• National Trust properties and Historic Houses Trust of NSW properties (other than retail shops)
• Nightclubs
• Casinos, except for selling food or beverages for people to consume off-site and providing accommodation, including allowing food and drinks to be consumed in a person’s room.

Exemptions

Your premises may stay open if it is

• used to provide a service to vulnerable people (such as a food bank or homeless shelter)
• an early education and care facility
• used for a funeral or memorial service that complies with the rules for funerals and memorial services.

If your premises is permitted to stay open under the public health order, you must follow the rules in place including

• the square metres rules
• face masks rules
• mandatory check-in (for example, using QR codes)
• ‘click and collect’ and home delivery.

Exempted gatherings

Exemption from the one person per 4 square metres rule

All premises in Greater Sydney that are not closed must comply with the one person per 4 square metres rule, except for the following exempted gatherings.

• Gathering at an airport
• Transportation including vehicles, truck stops, stations, platforms and stops but not including vehicles being used as a party bus
• Hospitals or other medical or health service facilities
• Emergency services
• Prisons, correctional facilities, youth justice centres or other places of custody
• Disability or aged care facilities
• Courts or tribunals
• Supermarkets, food markets or groceries
• Shopping centres
• Retail stores
• Farms, mines, commercial fishing operations and commercial vessels (excluding vessels providing tours or hosting functions)
• Schools, universities, other educational institutions and childcare facilities
• Hotel, motel or other accommodation facilities
• Outdoor thoroughfares
• Services to assist vulnerable members of the public
• Early education and care facilities 

Places that are allowed to be open must follow the relevant rules including

• the wearing of face masks
• having a COVID-19 safety plan and
• mandatory electronic check-in (QR codes).