Everything you need to know about Sydney's new singles bubble rules - and why they mean the NSW Government is building a list of who's sleeping with who
Gladys Berejiklian's new 'singles bubble' registrar will inadvertently become a list of who's sleeping with who as part of a broader NSW-wide crackdown designed to track daily movements.
The premier announced the introduction of a form at Saturday's press conference that asks individuals to 'sign up' their 'single buddy' to in order to have them in your house.
It was originally invented to give those living alone during lockdown a 'buddy' to socialise with but the new mandate will allow the government to keep track of who is sleeping with who - and it's now known who will have access to the information.
'Unfortunately some people were trying to get around the rules imposed,' the premier said on Saturday morning, hinting that singles were visiting more than one person.
'In affected local government areas you will need to register your single buddies so people are not abusing that rule.'
She reiterated there has been no known cases linked to people operating under the singles bubble but the new restrictions are being imposed to ensure spread doesn't occur.
'We can't predict where things will go but we can certainly take precautionary measures, and that's why we are taking those precautionary measures,' Berejiklian said.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced the introduction of a portal people must sign up with in order to comply with the 'Singles Buddy' mandate - brought in to support people living alone
Sydneysiders woke up to a harsher lockdown after a string of new rules were enforced following a record 466 new Covid cases on Saturday
Despite the announcement, no form to register a lover is live on the government website as of Saturday afternoon.
NSW hit a record 466 new Covid cases on Saturday including 26 in the western regions, forcing the government to introduce a state-wide lockdown for seven days.
There are currently 12 LGA's of major concern as dictated by the NSW government: Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and some suburbs of Penrith.
Anyone living in the listed LGAs can only have a single buddy who also lives within their same LGA.
While people in Greater Sydney cannot travel more than 5km from their home, there is no restriction on visiting a partner based on 'compassionate grounds'.
While people in Sydney cannot travel more than 5km from their home, there is no restriction on visiting a partner based on compassionate grounds, which include mental health reasons
Premier Berejiklian identified new changes to be made to the 'singles bubble' which refers to people who live on their own nominating a person who can visit them
Premier Gladys Berejiklian confirmed the figures from 130,000 tests, saying it was 'the worst day for Sydney' so far in the pandemic
Alongside an update to the bubble, Berejiklian also dramatically increased fines, slashed the exercise radius in Sydney and called in hundreds more troops for suburban streets to tackle the spiralling situation.
She said the record 466 cases came from 130,000 tests and made Saturday 'the worst day for Sydney' in the pandemic - as the state fights a losing battle to contain the Indian delta strain despite seven weeks of lockdown.
The premier also admitted that of those 466 cases, a staggering 390 were likely to have been infectious in community, and admitted they were concerned by a growing outbreak in western NSW.
'It's our worst day ever. We are in a really, extremely concerning situation,' Premier Berejiklian said.
GREATER SYDNEY NEW RESTRICTIONS AND FINES - SATURDAY
* Residents living in Greater Sydney must be given a permit to leave the region
* Travel radius for residents of Greater Sydney reduced from 10km to 5km
* Residents are also unable to visit their second homes except for under special circumstances
* $5,000 fines for breaching quarantine, lying on a permit or contact tracing
* $3,000 fines for breaching two-person exercise limit and wrongfully entering regional NSW
* Those who are eligible for the singles bubble in 12 LGAs of concern must register their companion online
* These LGAs are Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and parts of Penrith
* $320 payment plan for those having to isolate while awaiting test results and are unable to work will also be set up
'This is the worst situation New South Wales has been in since day one, and as a consequence of that, the worst situation Australia has been in.
'We will get through this. But September and October will be very difficult.'
Residents of Greater Sydney and the regions will see the radius they are allowed to travel in reduced from 10 kilometres to just five.
There will be $5,000 fines for anyone caught breaching quarantine, lying on a permit or contact tracing. This amount is up from the $1,000 police were giving out from the start of the latest lockdown.