Tough social distancing rules that restrict Australians to leaving their home for only four reasons will be in place for at least 90 days in NSW.
On Thursday NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said the state’s lockdown laws will be lifted after three months.
“There was a good question yesterday about when is the turn-off period for these orders. It is 90 days,” said Commissioner Fuller.
He said he doesn’t plan to ask for an extension of the period that gives police powers to fine those who disobey the law.
“People will have gotten the message by then, hopefully,” he told media at a press conference.
“And we won’t be talking about the powers, we’ll be talking about what does it look like coming out of this.”
Last week tough restrictions on leaving the house came into play, and authorities confirmed police will issue on the spot fines to enforce social distancing rules.
The government orders mean people in NSW could pay up to $11,000 in court ordered fines.
Public gatherings are now limited to only two people aside from members of your immediate household. The advice is to stay home unless you’re getting groceries, medical attention, picking up medication from a chemist or meeting one other person to exercise.
“It means that if you need to exercise, we get it - go for a walk, sensibly, on your own. You can still meet a personal trainer if you have to,” Commissioner Fuller said last week.
On Wednesday the commissioner also gave an update on international arrivals in NSW that had been placed in mandatory hotel quarantine.
“We have some 3,557 people now in hotel accommodation in different periods of isolation,” he said.
He explained authorities “are reviewing individual cases and we’re doing our best to make sensible decisions”, citing one example of a quadriplegic man who was allowed to go directly to his own home to self-isolate.
Another 500 people are expected to arrive today, as well as 200 defence personnel from the Middle East who will also go into quarantine.
“They’ll come to Sydney, go to a hotel room and be treated like the rest of the community,” said Fuller.
At least 4,860 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Australia and 23 people have died.
The virus has killed more than 44,000 people worldwide and more than 900,000 are infected.