Updated April 07, 2020 23:55:58

Photo: Queensland's beaches will be patrolled by police to make sure people are meeting the guidelines. (ABC News: Alex Papp)

For plenty of Australians, Easter means big family gatherings, trips to the beach or time spent at church.

But this year, those events are largely off the table.

And Prime Minister Scott Morrison has flagged that this weekend will be "incredibly important" to the coronavirus fight, urging Australians to stay at home.

So what are you allowed — and not allowed — to do under new coronavirus restrictions?

Can I take my usual beach break?

If it means travelling, the answer is no.

In New South Wales, the Premier Gladys Berejiklian was pretty clear about it.

"A lot of us had our hearts sold on going on holidays or doing something we'd normally do at Easter, and we can't this year," she said.

"None of us can travel, none of us can go on holidays."

Queensland's police commissioner Katarina Carroll says beaches there would be "heavily patrolled" by police — and that's not just the three big ones on the Gold Coast that have been closed (The Spit, Coolangatta and Surfers Paradise), that's all of them.

The message is if you're not there to exercise and you're not local, you have to stay at home.

The rules also include anyone with a holiday home; you need to be staying at your principal place of residence.

"Technically if it's non-essential travel, it's not complying … you should not be on the road," she said.

"On the weekend, we have fined people for blatantly just being out and about, going for a ride or a drive, which is clearly non-essential travel — it's happened time and time again."

In South Australia, Premier Steven Marshall says travel over the Easter break is "completely and utterly off".

"As we see the number of new infections stabilise, I don't want anybody to think we can relax the restrictions," he said.

What about travelling interstate?

Depending on where you want to go, that's probably off anyway, with most states and territories shutting their borders.

The Queensland, Western Australian, South Australian, Northern Territory and Tasmanian borders are closed, with some minor exemptions depending on the state (for example necessary health workers, people bringing vital supplies or on compassionate grounds).

Photo: With most interstate borders closed, Easter travel won't be possible. (AAP: Dave Hunt)

Some places, like Tasmania, have been closed off to "non-essential" travellers for weeks.

At the Queensland border, police have already turned around 532 cars since the closure on Friday night.

So if you wanted to go to any of those states, you'll be unlikely to be allowed in without a good reason.

Can I visit family in my town?

If you're thinking of a big, all-in family lunch, that's a definite no.

The rules around visiting your family and friends still apply, and that can vary depending on where you are.

National advice is still to keep visits to a minimum, limiting gatherings to two people while keeping up social distancing measures in your home.

This does mean a family split over two households can meet (depending on your state rules), so you could visit your parents.

But if you want to meet up with a mate for a run, that's still just you and one friend.

And while most states limit gatherings to two people, some have their own recommendations.

Photo: You can't have that traditional big family gathering this year. (Pixabay: bridgesward)

For example in Victoria, visits from family and friends of any size should be avoided, unless it's to care for someone who is sick, elderly, disabled or pregnant.

Partners are an exception; if you live apart, you can visit each other at home.

Premier Daniel Andrews has reminded Victorians they can't do the normal things they do this Easter.

"I know that will be very painful for people to not be together with parents and grandparents. But this is a matter of life and death," he said.

Breaking down the latest news and research to understand how the world is living through an epidemic, this is the ABC's Coronacast podcast.

But for South Australians, the two-person rule is just considered "strong advice".

Provided your gathering has less than 10 people present, it's not prohibited.

In Queensland last week, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk flagged a change in the rules.

In that state people "may allow up to two visitors who are not ordinarily members of the person's household".

But that's only in private — in public, only two people can be out together, unless they're from the same household.

There are fines in play for people who break social distancing rules, and they're anywhere from $1,000 for individuals, depending on the state.

What about shopping for my Easter feast?

Ok here's something you are definitely allowed to do — buy food.

But the big supermarkets have already warned they'll be busy and you might need to queue outside a store so that they can keep to social distancing rules inside.

Photo: You can expect to queue if you're shopping over Easter. (Antonette Collins)

So their message is shop a bit earlier if you can, and try to avoid the traditional Thursday peak.

Can I go to church?

Any indoor place of worship has been closed for a little over a fortnight now, under Federal Government rules.

But, ahead of Easter, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced they'd be considered workplaces.

So what does that mean?

The PM stressed while churches and other places of worship aren't open to the public, it allows those involved in formally conducting the services to be in the building.

This means religions can have the extra people needed to livestream their services, but they have to respect the rules, including maintaining four square metres of space for each person.

Topics: covid-19, lifestyle-and-leisure, travel-and-tourism, religion-and-beliefs, australia

First posted April 07, 2020 15:13:18