The Chief Health Officer at NSW Health, Dr Kerry Chant granted some lockdown relief for the people of Sydney’s west and south-west this week (20 September), with an easing of restrictions that brought the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of concern more into line with the rest of Greater Sydney.
Announced by Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, nearly all restrictions in the affected LGAs are now aligned with other lockdown areas, with the main differences being authorised worker conditions and travel permit requirements, which remain in place.
Ms Berejiklian took the opportunity to also announce the reopening of outdoor pools across the State from Monday (27 September), provided Councils have a stringent COVID-safety plan approved by NSW Health.
She thanked residents in Sydney’s west and south-west who had come forward and received their COVID-19 vaccinations.
“We are so grateful to everyone who has come forward to get a jab, helping bring first dose vaccination rates in some LGAs up to 90 per cent,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“There’s still more work to do to push those vaccination rates higher and everyone must continue to follow the lockdown rules until we reach that 70 per cent double dose target when further restrictions can be eased for those who are fully vaccinated,” she said.
The Premier said the easing of restrictions in the LGAs of concern saw the curfew and the two-hour limit on outdoor exercise scrapped; outdoor gatherings of up to five fully vaccinated people were now allowed; people could be a guest at a small wedding (maximum of 11 people); and a person’s ‘single’s bubble buddy’ did not have to live within 5km.
She said the impacted LGAs were: Bayside; Blacktown; Burwood; Campbelltown; Canterbury-Bankstown; Cumberland; Fairfield; Georges River; Liverpool; Parramatta; Strathfield; and parts of Penrith.
