NSW has recorded 863 new cases of Covid-19 and a state pandemic-record 15 deaths from the virus overnight.
Nine of the state’s residents to die overnight were not vaccinated, while five had received only one vaccine dose.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 86.2 per cent of the state’s population had now received their first vaccination dose, while 61.7 per cent are fully vaccinated.
She said she was confident NSW would reach the 90 per cent single-dose figure by next week.
The premier also announced on Wednesday fully-vaccinated residents would be allowed to visit aged care facilities from October 11 – when NSW’s harsh lockdown is set to end.
Workers are pictured wearing personal protective equipment at the Manly Waves Studios and Apartments in Sydney on Wednesday. NSW has recorded 863 new cases of Covid-19 and a state pandemic-record 15 deaths
‘I am looking forward to seeing my parents in that week,’ she said.
‘For those of you who haven’t been able to see a loved one for around three months, Monday, the 11th, so long as you are fully vaccinated, two at a time and two per day are able to visit a loved one in an aged care facility.’
Ms Berejiklian said there had been a reduction in cases across west and south-west Sydney – for months the epicentre of NSW’s outbreak.
However she said there had also been a worrying rise in infections in the Illawarra-Shellharbour region south of the city.
Of the 863 new locally-acquired cases, 94 were found in the area – compared to 187 in western Sydney and 227 in south-west Sydney.
The announcement came amid fears Byron Shire could be sent back into lockdown only hours after it was released, after two new cases who were infectious in the community were identified.
The Tweed, Byron and Kempsey areas were freed from lockdown overnight, while stay-at-home orders were reintroduced in Port Macquarie and Muswellbrook for at least one week.
But the freedom of residents in the Byron Shire is likely to be short lived, with one case diagnosed in the Kyogle area and a second case in Byron Bay, local MP Tamara Smith confirmed.
The Byron, Tweed and Kempsey shires were released from lockdown overnight, with Byron reintroduced into the Queensland border bubble (pictured, freedom rally in Byron on September 18)
‘Initial investigations indicate that both people had been infectious in the community, with contact tracing and investigations currently under way,’ she said on Wednesday.
The Tweed and Byron areas were re-included in the Queensland border bubble when restrictions lifted overnight, but the cases will likely see the Byron area excluded again.
It comes as the deadline for health workers to be vaccinated against Covid-19 with at least once dose looms.
Some 94 per cent of the NSW Health workforce is vaccinated, but staff have until Thursday, at which point they will be unable to work.
But two new cases have emerged in Byron Bay and the Kyogle area, risking the area to be thrust back into lockdown (pictured, Byron Bay)
Unvaccinated people in the broader NSW community are also being warned they’ll likely be missing out on certain freedoms and activities beyond December.
NSW will emerge from lockdown in a fortnight after almost four months of stay-at-home orders for large parts of the state.
In December, public health orders will no longer prevent unvaccinated patrons from intermingling, but Health Minister Brad Hazzard said business owners could still deny them entry.
And those who refused the jab were likely to remain barred from most hospitality and entertainment venues as well as air travel, he said.
The NSW government has also warned that unvaccinated members of society will be missing out on certain freedoms and activities after December (pictured, freedom rally in Byron Bay on September 18)
Socially-distanced reintroductions to hospitality venues and hairdressers will begin from October 11, at 70 per cent full vaccination coverage.
About two weeks later, the state is expected to reach 80 per cent coverage, triggering additional freedoms and the resumption of regional travel.
These freedoms will only be restored for the fully vaccinated.
Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says officers won’t routinely stop people and ask to see their vaccination passports, but will be available to help business owners who refuse service to anyone.
NSW will emerge from lockdown in a fortnight after almost four months of stay-at-home orders for large parts of the state (pictured, a man is arrested at the freedom rally in Byron Bay)
NSW on Tuesday reported 863 new local coronavirus cases – dipping below Victoria’s 867 daily infections – and seven deaths.
Of the seven people who died, one person was in their 40s, one in their 50s, two in their 70s, two in their 80s and one in their 90s.
It takes the toll for the current outbreak to 316.