Everything you need to know about Sydney’s total shut down

Stricter lockdown restrictions were imposed across Sydney and especially in the city’s southwest as Covid cases jumped to 111.

The new restrictions announced by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Saturday aimed to completely shut down the southwest Sydney epicenter of the outbreak.

Fairfield, Liverpool and Cantebury-Bankstown residents were to stay in their local councils.

Residents cannot even leave for work unless they work in heathcare and emergency services until July 30 at the earliest. 

Only ‘critical retail’ such as supermarkets and pharmacies will be allowed to remain open from 11.59pm on Saturday. Others will have to do click and collect or takeaway.

Construction, large or small, will shut and homes and businesses cannot use paid cleaners or have home repairs done unless urgent. 

Here is what the new rules are and which ones apply to you.

Most shops will shut

The only shops that can stay open from 11.59pm on Saturday across Sydney are:

• Supermarkets and grocery stores (including butchers, bakeries, fruit and vegetable stores, liquor stores and fishmongers)
• Stores that predominantly sell health, medical, maternity and infant supplies
• Pharmacies and chemists
• Petrol stations, car hire
• Banks and financial institutions
• Hardware, nurseries and building supplies, agricultural and rural supplies
• Pet supplies;
• Post offices and newsagents, office supplies.

Everything else can offer click and collect services for goods ordered online or over the phone which customers can pick up or have delivered.

Ms Berejiklian previously insisted that it was not up to the government to determine was was ‘essential’, but has now backflipped.

Anyone who leaves the home must have a mask with them at all times. They must be worn when you are working outdoors, in outdoor markets, outdoor shopping strips, and in an outdoor queues waiting for products such as coffee and food 

Southwest Sydney ringfenced

The vast majority of the cases in the outbreak, more than 80 of Saturday’s numbers, are in southwest Sydney.

Ms Berejiklian now wants to quarantine them from the rest of Sydney, even if they are essential workers. 

Residents of Fairfield, Canterbury-Bankstown and Liverpool local council cannot leave their LGA for work except for emergency services and healthcare workers, including aged and disability workers. 

Where those workers do need to leave for work, they are required to be tested every three days, even if they do not have symptoms. 

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has closed down all ‘non-urgent’ construction until July 30 and also shut down home repairs and even paid cleaning services

Construction and maintenance halted

With everyone mostly locked inside their homes, the government wants to prevent outsiders coming into them, even for essential reasons.

From 12.01am on Monday, all construction to be paused and non-urgent maintenance, including cleaning services, and repair work on homes to be paused.

More mask restrictions

Anyone who leaves the home must have a mask with them at all times. They must be worn when you are working outdoors, in outdoor markets, outdoor shopping strips, and in an outdoor queues waiting for products such as coffee and food

All carpooling to be stopped unless among members of the same household.

Work from home mandate expanded

Employers must allow employees to work from home if the employee is able to do so, failure to do so can result in a fine of up to $10,000.