Who you can visit, where you can exercise and how you can care for your elderly family members: Everything you need to know about Sydney's new Covid restrictions

Additional stay-at-home restrictions have been announced for NSW residents on Friday as Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced 44 new Covid cases in the state.

An anxious Ms Berejiklian said the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus left her no choice but to expand restrictions for those in lockdown. 

From 5pm on Friday exercising outdoors must be limited to groups of two and people must stay within 10km of their homes when exercising. 

Residents in Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Woollongong, Central Coast, and Shellharbour are in the midst of an already extended three week lockdown - with the premier hinting another extension was not off the table.  

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced new social distancing restrictions for Greater Sydney residents on Friday

Exercising outdoors has been limited to groups of two from 5pm on Friday under expanded restrictions (pictured: people exercising in Sydney last weekend)  

Can you still exercise outdoors? 

Yes, but in reduced groups. Locked down residents from Friday evening will only be allowed to exercise outdoors in groups of two - down from the 10 previously allowed. 

The only exception to this rule is members of the same household already living together can exercise outdoors together.  

How far can you travel to exercise?  

Additionally locals can only travel within their own local government area or at most 10km of their homes to exercise. 

'Please do not leave your house. Do not leave your home, unless you absolutely have to,' Ms Berejiklian pleaded with Sydneysiders. 

What about leaving the house for essential items? 

Locals should only leave their house for essential supplies and should not browse, the premier said.  

Only one member of a household should be traveling to the shops for essential items and this should not be an excuse to socialise. 

Can you visit a partner in another household?

This is still allowed under the new restrictions provided you are in a relationship.  

Is carpooling allowed? 

Carpooling with other households - whether to the shops, to exercise or work - is also not allowed from 5pm on Friday. 

Centennial Park in Sydney was packed with crowds last Saturday morning  

Can you still travel to work?

Ms Berejiklian restated only people who need to travel for essential work should leave their house. 

'Too many people who have continued to go to work, too many people have either misunderstood the rules or not followed them. And that has to stop.'    

What about funerals and weddings? 

Health officials have also made the decision to cap funerals at 10 attendees from Sunday. 

Weddings were already prevented from going ahead early on in the lockdown.

Exercising is still allowed in groups of two from 5pm Friday in Greater Sydney and surrounds 

Only one member of a household is allowed to go to the shops for essential items on each trip 

How many people can you have at your house? 

Only those providing essential care are allowed to visit another household. This includes caring for elderly family members.

In other cases guests are not allowed to visit other households unless in exceptional circumstances. 

'We are still getting questions through Service NSW about how many people you can have into your home. The answer is zero.' Ms Berejiklian said.

'I don't mean these words lightly, or say these words lightly. But we are facing the greatest threat that we have faced in New South Wales and the pandemic started. And it is up to all of us to turn things around'. 

Shoppers are pictured in Cabramatta in Sydney's south-west. Only one member of each household will be allowed to go out to shop for essential items from Friday evening

Ms Berejiklian added with the rate of vaccination hovering around 9 per cent, allowing the virus to spread in the community was not an option. 

'Unless there is a dramatic change, unless there is a dramatic turnaround in the numbers, I can't see how we would be in a position to ease restrictions by next Friday.' 

Of the 44 new local cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday, at least 29 were in the community for part or all of their infectious period.

It is the highest number of NSW daily infections since the pandemic's first wave in early 2020. 

Additional police have been dispatched to some areas from Friday including south-western Sydney (pictured: police at Bondi Beach last weekend) 

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NEW RESTRICTIONS: 

THE UPDATED RESTRICTIONS IN GREATER SYDNEY, BLUE MOUNTAINS, CENTRAL COAST, WOLLONGONG AND SHELLHARBOUR:

- Outdoor public gatherings limited to two people (excluding members of the same household)

- People must exercise within 10km of their home

- No carpooling with members of other households

- Browsing at shops is prohibited, and only one person per household per day may leave the home for shopping

- Funerals limited to 10 people from July 11.

THE FOUR REASONS TO LEAVE HOME UNDER LOCKDOWN:

- Shopping for food or other essential goods and services (one person per household per day)

- Medical care or compassionate needs (only one visitor can enter another residence in circumstances of compassionate needs)

- Exercise with no more than one other person (unless members of the same household)

- Essential work or education where you cannot work or study from home.