Berejiklian tells wedding guests to put on their dancing shoes

When asked if people could dance at indoor venues other than at nuptials, Ms Berejiklian said “not yet”.

This will impact Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras revellers who were hoping to celebrate at indoor venues on March 6.

The restrictions eased from Friday, 12.01am, include:

• Fifty visitors being allowed in the home;
• Thirty people to dance at weddings, with guests allowed to rotate on and off the dance floor;
• Fifty people at gym classes subject to the 4-square-metre rule (excluding instructors);
• Thirty people (up from five) to sing indoors subject to social distancing requirements;
• Congregants at places of worship can sing if wearing face masks subject to the 4-square-metre rule; and
• Cinemas reverting to 100 per cent capacity.

If trends continue, drinking while standing will be allowed at indoor venues from Wednesday, March 17.

Ms Berejiklian flagged increasing compliance measures for venues in response to reports that some proprietors were not being diligent about ensuring patrons use QR codes to sign in.

“We can’t let our guard down. Even though we are easing restrictions it’s more important than ever before to make sure we are checking in when we go to venues, keeping our social distance and getting tests when we have the mildest of symptoms,” she said.

Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the easing of restrictions was “another shot of confidence for the NSW economy”.

NSW recorded its 38th consecutive day without a locally acquired case on Wednesday, which is the longest stretch of zero community transmissions in the course of the pandemic.

The previous longest stretch was 26 days, when no cases were recorded between 8pm on November 6 and 8pm on December 2, 2020, before the northern beaches’ outbreak.

There were 17,917 tests reported to 8pm last night, considerably higher than the previous day’s total of 10,177.

Ms Berejiklian said more than 3200 people had received their COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine in the first two days of the vaccination program in NSW.

“[This] is a wonderful effort in just 48 hours and that is only in the three state-run hospitals,” she said. “So far there is enormous enthusiasm and positivity around people receiving the vaccine and those administering the vaccine. I want to commend everybody at NSW Health for that mammoth task.”