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

COVID-19 Pandemic 2020: individuals displaying an unacceptable level of ignorance, entitlement or aggression

NSW Police, media release, 26 March 2020:

Appeal for public help after man coughs on Hunter supermarket employee

Police are appealing for public assistance after a man deliberately coughed on a supermarket employee at a Hunter region store earlier this week.

About 7.30pm on Tuesday (24 March 2020), a 35-year-old female employee was working inside a supermarket on Glenelg Street, Raymond Terrace, assisting customers to adhere to social distancing rules.

Police have been told a man and woman approached the register before a verbal altercation occurred between the man and the female employee and he deliberately coughed on her.

Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were notified and commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

As inquiries continue, police have released images of a man they wish to speak to who may be able to assist with their investigation.

The man is described as being of Caucasian appearance, between 170-180cm tall, with a shaved head, and goatee-style facial hair. At the time, he was wearing cream shorts and black thongs.

Anyone who knows the man or has information which may assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A number of COVID-19 ministerial directions been announced to date, covering incoming travellers, diagnosed persons, mass gatherings and social distancing rules, and the closure of social gathering places.

The Public Health Act 2010 (NSW) provides NSW Police with the power to enforce these orders. It is an offence for a person to fail to comply with an order, and severe penalties apply.

NSW Police can now issue Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) to anyone found to be in contravention of a ministerial direction. PINs carry on-the-spot fines of $1000 for individuals and $5000 for businesses.

Minister for Police and Emergency Services, David Elliott, urges anyone with information to come forward.

“This kind of dangerous behaviour needs to stop immediately. It’s potentially putting the lives of workers and their families at risk.

“This isn’t a time to practice poor hygiene habits.

“For a disgusting act like this, you could find yourself charged with common assault and jailed for up to two years,” Mr Elliott said.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.

Daily Mail, 27 March 2020:

A woman has been slapped with a $1,000 fine after ignoring instructions to self-isolate during the coronavirus lockdown. 

The 65-year-old woman returned to Sydney from Bali on Saturday and was ordered to self-quarantine for 14 days amid the deadly COVID-19 outbreak.

Police received reports that the woman had broken her quarantine on Monday and visited her home in Redhead, south of Newcastle, and issued her with a warning. 

Later on Thursday, officers received further information that the woman had once again left her home and was breaching the public health order.

Officers returned to her house later that day at 1.45pm and issued her a $1,000 penalty infringement notice. 

Police from Thursday had the power to hand out fines of $1,000 to individuals and $5,000 to businesses that breach public health orders or ministerial directions.....

The Daily Examiner, 28 March 2020, p.16:

COVID-19 is making it a trying time for accommodation providers in Byron Bay, including for providers of short term accommodation (STA) such as Airbnb. 

Some savvy hosts are scrambling to keep bookings up and are still attempting to lure guests to Byron, advertising it as a “haven” for self-isolation. 

But residents are pleading for travellers to stay at home as the STA hosts advertise the beachside town as a great place  to isolate in the wake of strict social enforcements due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

“Self-isolate in sunny Byron Bay,” one Airbnb advertisement reads. “Come and self-isolate at the beach,” says another.....

“Someone just asked the very good question as to why shouldn’t visitors ‘social distance’ or ‘self isolate’ in the Byron Shire rather than in at home in Brisbane or the Gold Coast. 

“Here’s why: a) because you could be bringing the disease to this area and potentially infecting people living here and other visitors who have done the same thing, and b) if you are socially distancing or socially isolating down here and then need medical treatment, regional areas don’t have as many medical facilities as cities/ towns. “This means that locals could miss out on an ICU bed — and that could be my relative or neighbour pays with their life.”

Greenacre: A woman has been charged with spitting on a police officer, claiming she was heading for a virus test before the assault. Police are enraged and she's not the only one caught doing it. https://t.co/MlW1GFkZNa @laurakatebanks #Greenacre #Coronavirus #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/q9LF9Xp04C

— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) March 28, 2020