While churches had been hoping for a full return to congregational singing, the latest relaxing of COVID regulations comes as a disappointment.
From Friday 26 February, there is a boost in the number of performers allowed to sing - from 5 up to 30 singers indoors - indoors subject to social distancing. But congregations can only join in with masks, and then they would be subject to the 4m2 rule.
Currently, the 2m2 is in force for places of worship, so for singing to take place in masks the number of people allowed in a place of worship would drop.
The other restrictions easing are:
- 50 visitors allowed in the home.
- 30 people will be allowed to dance at weddings. The current 300-person cap on wedding guests may be relaxed soon.
- Cinemas willl return to 100 per cent capacity.
"NSW is in a very good position but we know that is very volatile," according to Premier Gladys Berejiklian."We have to be as vigilant as ever. We have to make sure we do not become complacent, that we stick to the COVID restrictions and rules to make sure that all of us stay protected."
