To protect the people of NSW from the evolving COVID-19 outbreak, new restrictions will be introduced for Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Singleton, Dungog, Muswellbrook and Cessnock from 5pm today until 12.01am Friday 13 August.

Following updated health advice from the Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant about the growing risk to the community, stay-at-home orders will apply to all people who live in these areas, or have been there on or after 31 July 2021.

The rules for these areas are the same as those already in place across Greater Sydney, including the Central Coast.

Everyone in these areas must stay at home unless you have a reasonable excuse to leave. They also cannot have visitors in their home, except in limited circumstances This applies to all social visits from those outside your household, including family and friends.

Reasons you may leave your home

The reasons you may leave your home include to:

• obtain food or other goods and services
• in your local government area or within 10km of your home, if reasonably practicable
• 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
• leave home for education if it is not possible to do it at home, noting that schools will only be open for children of parents who cannot work from 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 for a COVID-19 test or vaccination.

Closure of retail businesses

Retail premises will be required to close ('click and collect', takeaway and home delivery can still operate), except for critical retail.

Masks

• Masks must be worn in all indoor areas (not including the home) and in certain outdoor settings, such as all people working outdoors or while queuing for takeaway or shopping for critical items.
• Masks do not have to be worn while travelling in a car alone or with members of your household in a car, or while exercising vigorously.
• Masks must be carried whenever a person is away from their home, even if they are not required to be wearing it.

The Commonwealth Government has today announced that NSW will receive an additional 183,690 Pfizer doses over the next two weeks.

This will allow NSW Health to reinstate all bookings affected by the recent reallocation of doses to Year 12 students in south west and western Sydney.

People whose bookings were recently cancelled will be rebooked to ensure they are the first to receive the new doses.

NSW Health has begun work on reinstating these bookings and further information will be available soon. We thank everybody for their patience and understanding.

It is vital people continue to come forward for testing to help us find any COVID-19 cases in the community and prevent further transmission.

There are more than 410 COVID-19 testing locations across NSW, many of which are open seven days a week. To find your nearest clinic visit COVID-19 testing clinics or contact your GP.