16 reasonable excuses for leaving your home in New South Wales during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic

As NSW COVID-19 infection numbers continue to climb and Northern NSW Local Area District infections reached 37 individuals by 29 March 2020, it has become even more important that people keep to their own homes to guard against catching this virus.

Here are the most recent reasonable excuses allowed for leaving your home.

NSW Government Gazette No 65, Public Health (COVID-19 Restrictions on Gathering and Movement) Order 2020 under the Public Health Act 2010, excerpt, 30 March 2020:

Schedule 1 

Reasonable excuses 

1 obtaining food or other goods or services for the personal needs of the household or other household purposes (including for pets) and for vulnerable persons

2 travelling for the purposes of work if the person cannot work from the person’s place of residence 

3 travelling for the purposes of attending childcare (including picking up or dropping another person at childcare) 

4 travelling for the purposes of facilitating attendance at a school or other educational institution if the person attending the school or institution cannot learn from the person’s place of residence 

5 exercising 

6 obtaining medical care or supplies or health supplies or fulfilling carer’s responsibilities 

7 attending a wedding or a funeral in the circumstances referred to in clause 6(2)(d) and (e) or 7(1)(h) 

8 moving to a new place of residence (including a business moving to new premises) or between different places of residence of the person or inspecting a potential new place of residence 

9 providing care or assistance (including personal care) to a vulnerable person or providing emergency assistance 

10 donating blood 

11 undertaking any legal obligations 

12 accessing public services (whether provided by Government, a private provider or a non-Government organisation), including— 
(a) social services, and 
(b) employment services, and 
(c) domestic violence services, and 
(d) mental health services, and 
(e) services provided to victims (including as victims of crime) 

13 for children who do not live in the same household as their parents or siblings or one of their parents or siblings—continuing existing arrangements for access to, and contact between, parents and children or siblings 

14 for a person who is a priest, minister of religion or member of a religious order— going to the person’s place of worship or providing pastoral care to another person 

15 avoiding injury or illness or to escape a risk of harm 

16 for emergencies or compassionate reasons