The use of masks and QR codes will soon be scaled back under new COVID rules announced by the NSW government, while singing and dancing will be permitted from tomorrow.
Premier Dominic Perrottet had previously flagged February 28 as the date that restrictions would be eased, but said "the efforts people made across the state" allowed them to be changed earlier.
From tomorrow:
- All density restrictions will be scrapped
- Singing and dancing will be allowed at all hospitality venues
- QR code check-ins will only be required for nightclubs and music festivals
- The direction for employees to work from home will also be changed, and will be left to "employer's discretion"
From Friday, February 25:
- Masks will no longer be mandatory in most indoor settings, but you'll still need one on public transport, and in hospitals and aged-care facilities
- Masks will be encouraged indoors where people can't maintain social distancing, such as retail settings
- Singing and dancing will be permitted at all music festivals
- The 20,000-person cap on music festivals will be removed
Meanwhile, from Monday, February 21, the length of hotel quarantine for unvaccinated international arrivals will be reduced from 14 to seven days.
Mr Perrottet said he would work with the public service over the next week on bringing employees back to the office, and he expects other business to do the same.
"These changes are measured and proportionate to the circumstances we find ourselves in and are particularly due can I say to the efforts of everybody across our state," he said.
"Can I say where we were sitting when we brought out those scenarios in our health system and the capacity within our health system, we are tracking incredibly well."
Mr Perrottet said it had been "a difficult two years" in his state but that there were "pleasing signs" in hospitals, where the number of COVID patients continues to decline.
"From time to time, we will see cases increase, at other times [they will] decrease," he said.
"That is not a measure of success or failure, that is living alongside the virus."
NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant warned people to prepare for more infections later this year.
"There will likely be further waves of COVID as vaccine and infection-derived immunity wanes," she said.
"We need to be clear about this. Even in the context of no new variants emerging, we can expect further waves.
"At the moment, we've seen a stabilisation of numbers with slowly declining hospital and ICU admissions."
Mr Perrottet said the government would make an announcement on masks in schools "shortly".
Currently, they're recommended for children in Year 3 to Year 6 and mandatory in high schools.
Venues like Bungalow 8 in Barangaroo are scrambling to be able to reopen at full capacity.
Licensee Jeremy Fraser said he was surprised that dance floors would be allowed to open tomorrow.
"I am super excited, this is a glorious day that we can finally get these dance floors back open," Mr Fraser said.
"It's definitely a surprise, we were expecting another week but it is great news.
"It's now a frantic rush to make sure everything is prepped and organised but we're going to get there and it's going to be a big, big weekend."
ClubsNSW welcomed the announcement saying it gave the industry hope for the future.
"The past few months have been tough for clubs, as people just haven't been going out like they used to," CEO Josh Landis said.
"We hope this decision sends a signal to the public that it is safe to go out once again and boost their confidence to return to their local club.
"Clubs have supported their communities throughout the pandemic, and now it's time for everyone to get out and support them."
NSW recorded 14 COVID-19 deaths in the 24 hours to 4pm yesterday.
There are 1,447 people with the virus in hospital, of which 92 are in ICU.
There were 9,995 new cases confirmed in the reporting period, including 5,747 rapid-antigen tests and 4,248 PCR swabs.
