‘So strict’: All Sydney’s new restrictions

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the scheme, designed to reward healthcare and other frontline workers for their efforts during the height of the pandemic, would no longer be going ahead as she announced restrictions for the rest of the city. While the fireworks will go ahead, they can no longer be watched from the foreshore unless a person has a restaurant or hospitality booking with a good vantage point – and a permit from Service NSW to get into the city. Restrictions will remain under their current provisions for greater Sydney and the southern region of the northern beaches with only 10 visitors to a home, including children.Those in the northern region of the northern beaches may only have five guests to their home.

Outdoor gatherings for greater Sydney have also been reduced to 50 from the current 100.Ms Berejiklian apologised to frontline workers for cancelling their celebrations.“For the four or five thousand of you (frontline workers), you won’t be allowed on the foreshore around Sydney, unfortunately we’re going to have to cancel that; we think it’s too much of a health risk,” Ms Berejiklian said on Monday.“We’ll find another opportunity during the year to recognise what you have done. On New Year’s Eve, we don’t want any crowds on the foreshores around Sydney whatsoever.”Ms Berejiklian urged business with New Year’s Eve functions in the CBD to obey the one person per four sqm rule and to be prepared to record all visitors.“Unless it’s controlled, ticketed and seated we don’t recommend those events go ahead,” she said.“So long as the 4-square-metre rule is in place, and those venues have COVID-safe plans and you have a permit from services New South Wales, you‘ll be allowed into those venues in the CBD.”Bans on dancing, singing and talking loudly at gatherings also remain.“Please know that singing, dancing and speaking loudly and mingling really accelerate the virus spreading. We ask everybody, please be this year,” Ms Berejiklian said.“We know it‘s not the New Year’s Eve all of us hoped it would be. But that’s okay and we want 2021 to be better than 2020.”

Those who live in the CBD and are planning on having people over will need to obey strict conditions. There is a limit on 10 visitors to any home in the CBD, and all guests will need to have a permit to attend and log in via the Service NSW app. “If you live in the CBD, you need to log in with Service NSW and provide the names of the 10 people coming to your home. We apologise that we have to be so strict, but this is to keep everybody safe,” Ms Berejiklian said. “You can’t just because you feel like it jump on a bus or a train and come to the CBD on New Year’s Eve. That’s not the go. You have to be going to a specific location or being a resident of the CBD. “Again, apologies for being so strict, but we want to make sure that we don’t have a super spreading event on New Year’s Eve which then spoils it for everybody across the state.”Ms Berejiklian said further announcements about the northern beaches lockdown would be made on January 2.