Police were patrolling Newcastle on Tuesday as new restrictions on gatherings and leaving home were introduced across the state in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the tighter restrictions, which the NSW government passed on Monday night, people will face fines up to $11,000 - or as long as six months in jail - for breaking the rules, with police given the power to hand out fines of $5500 for each day a person continues to disobey the law.
Gatherings are now limited to a maximum of two - not including members of the same household or for essential work - and people are being told not to leave their homes unless it is for one of the approved reasons published on the government's website.
"I really want the community to step up and make sure you stick to the rules we've set in place," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
We have removed our paywall from our stories about the coronavirus. This is a rapidly changing situation and we want to ensure our readers are as informed as possible. If you would like to support our journalists, you can subscribe here
- COVID-19 update: Confirmed Hunter cases rise to 208
- 'Absolute madness': Private hospital nurses sent home as crisis looms
- The coronavirus crisis in Newcastle and the Hunter
- Frontline hospital staff share how they are preparing for COVID-19
- Newcastle Writers Festival reborn online
- Can I walk my dog, go to the shops, pick up the kids without risking an $11,000 fine?
