Four reasons to leave home, no curfew, shops open and weddings ON for tomorrow: Everything you need to know about the two-week lockdown hitting Sydney tonight
More than five million people in Greater Sydney and its surrounds will go into a 14-day lockdown as health authorities try to regain control of a coronavirus outbreak that has ballooned to 80 cases.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian says residents of Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Wollongong will only be able to leave home for essential purposes from 6pm on Saturday.
Those reasons include work, to shop for essential items, to seek medical care, or for caregiving or compassionate reasons.
Locked-down residents are also permitted to leave their home to visit their partner like with previous lockdowns.
'We always have some components which are around intimate partner visits, and that will extend in this circumstance,' Chief Health Officer Kerry said.
The snap lockdown comes after another 12 new virus cases were recorded in NSW and exposure venues spread beyond the eastern Sydney hotspots to the northern beaches and western Sydney, where people have potentially been infectious for days.
Exercise outdoors is allowed in groups of up to ten, and Covid-safe funerals can proceed with up to 100 people.
Weddings are allowed to go ahead on Saturday and Sunday with restrictions in place, but must be cancelled from Monday onwards.
Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Wollongong will go into a 14-day lockdown from 6pm on Saturday (pictured, transport workers at a deserted Central Station in Sydney)
The CBD is currently resembling a ghost town - and will be even more so after it was announced Sydney will go into a lockdown from 6pm on Saturday until July 9
Community sport has been cancelled during the lockdown period, and residents must wear face masks in all indoor non-residential settings - such as workplaces, on public transport or waiting for public transport.
Ms Berejiklian urged people not to panic buy, or stress about money with shops to remain open and financial assistance to be available.
'It's never easy when all of us have to face these circumstances, but we're all in the same situation,' she said.
'We've had to do this before. We know the drill.'
Authorities will reassess the need for the lockdown in a week, but Ms Berejiklian said it's unlikely to be shortened.
'We could assess after seven days but I want to be very upfront with the public: this will be for all intents and purposes a two-week lockdown,' she said.
'I don't want to take away from that but if there is a dramatic change and the health advice says that we can get out of a lockdown earlier (we may) but I'm not anticipating that.
'The best advice from Health is that we should brace ourselves for additional cases.'
Restrictions have also been introduced for regional NSW.
No more than five visitors are allowed for a household each day, masks are required indoors and restrictions apply to weddings and funerals.
All hospitality has to be seated and the one person per four square metre rule has been revived, while outdoor events are allowed to operate at 50 per cent capacity.
The restrictions are required to ensure the virus doesn't take hold in the regions if Sydney travellers unknowingly spread it there, the premier said.
The restrictions are required to ensure the virus doesn't take hold in the regions if Sydney travellers unknowingly spread it there, the premier said.
Some 29 cases were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday, 17 of which had already been announced, taking the cluster to 80 cases.
More than half weren't in isolation from the beginning of their infection period.
Dr Chant said the virus was moving too fast for authorities to shut it down.
'Despite testing numbers being quite high and the contact tracers getting in contact with people rapidly, what we're seeing is by the time we've got there and uncovered the chains of transmission, we have a number of people infectious in the community,' Dr Chant said.
Even some of the premier's own staff have been identified as close contacts after being near Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall, who has the virus.
Authorities are still trying to work out whether any other people in Parliament House are close or casual contacts.
'Fortunately, I wasn't there when that occurred, but a number of my staff have been identified as close contacts,' Ms Berejiklian said.
SYDNEY'S LOCKDOWN: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW UNTIL JULY 9
*Applies to people living in greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Wollongong
*The four reasons you can leave your home:
The rest of NSW (including regional areas) will be subject to the following restrictions: