Australian officials planned to open pop-up parking lots and extra bicycle lanes in Sydney and other cities as the country's most populous state began its first full week on Monday of loosened lockdown measures.

Early morning traffic on the Harbour Bridge in Sydney on Friday. The New South Wales state relaxed COVID-19 restrictions around public gatherings and businesses from Friday. Photo: AFP

New South Wales (NSW) state Premier Gladys Berejiklian is urging people to avoid peak-hour trains and buses as they return to work to ensure that social distancing between commuters is maintained.

Australia's states and territories are beginning to allow more public activity under a three-step government plan after two months of shutdowns that officials have credited with keeping the country's exposure to the pandemic relatively low.

NSW, which accounts for around half of Australia's 7,045 COVID-19 cases, reported just one new infection in the previous 24 hours. The state also reported one additional death, the first nationally in almost a week, taking the nationwide toll to 99.

"We normally encourage people to catch public transport but given the constraints in the peak and the fact we are exercising social distancing, we want people to consider different ways to get to work," Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.

"Places in and around the CBD, but also in employment hubs, will be investigated and more pop-up parking stations will be made available," she added.

For people still catching trains and buses, the government is ordering "intense and ongoing cleaning" across the public transport network.


Newspaper headline: Aussie pop-up plans to avoid rush hour