Gladys Berejiklian warns masks and social distancing will stay even after 80 per cent vaccination

Gladys Berejiklian warns Australians will have to keep wearing masks and social distancing even after country hits 80 per cent vaccination ‘until the Delta variant goes’ – which could take YEARS

  • NSW Premier said some restrictions would remain even after 80 per cent jabbed
  • Restrictions would include mask wearing, social distancing and QR codes
  • Berejiklian said the restrictions would remain until the Delta strain ‘goes’

Gladys Berejiklian warns Australians will have to keep wearing masks and socially distancing even after 80 per cent of the country is fully vaccinated.

The NSW premier said until the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus is gone, some restrictions will still be enforced.

These include mask wearing in varying circumstances, social distancing, and mandatory QR codes for businesses – with no end in sight.

Due to the infectiousness of the Delta variant, and slow roll out of vaccinations within Australia, it is likely it could take several months to reach 80 per cent.  

‘One thing is very clear, until we get to at least, you know, 80 per cent of our vaccination rates, we’ll have some level of restriction,’ she said on Thursday.

‘It doesn’t necessarily mean stay at home, but it means some level of restriction.’

Australians will have to continue to wear masks and social distance even after 80 per cent of the population is vaccinated, the New South Wales premier has said

‘Social distancing, hand hygiene, mask wearing in certain circumstances, will be a part of life for us until the strain of Covid goes.’

The Delta variant dying out could take years, though it was not clear if Ms Berejiklian meant that, or just getting to zero cases in NSW or Australia. 

She said while there would still be some restrictions residents would be able to live much ‘freer’ including having the potential to travel internationally.

Ms Berejiklian said to get there, more people needed to be vaccinated and urged those considering getting the jab to do so immediately.

‘It’s not until we hit 70 or 80 per cent that we can live life as freely as we like with Covid,’ she said.

‘Even then, social distancing, mask wearing, QR codes, will be a part of life.’  

The call for residents to roll up their sleeves came after a worrying day of record new local cases in NSW.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said until the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus is gone, some minor restrictions will still be enforced

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said until the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus is gone, some minor restrictions will still be enforced

The vaccination rollout has been criticised due to its slow pace (pictured health care workers at testing clinic in Merrylands in Sydney's west)

The vaccination rollout has been criticised due to its slow pace (pictured health care workers at testing clinic in Merrylands in Sydney’s west)

The state recorded 262 new infections overnight and five more deaths.

Ms Berejiklian said four of the five NSW residents to die from the virus in the past 24 hours were not vaccinated. The fifth received only one dose of the AstraZeneca jab.

Three of those who died were in their 60s, while one was in their 70s and the other was in their 80s. The death toll from the city’s latest outbreak of the highly contagious Delta strain now stands at 21.

NSW Health said at least 45 of the new cases were infectious in the community meanwhile infections have also been detected in Newcastle and the Hunter region.

The premier said Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Port Stephens, Cessnock, Dungog, Singleton and Muswellbrook will now go into a week-long lockdown.

Residents in those local councils will face the same strict stay-at-home orders as five million residents across Sydney, who are in lockdown until at least August 28.

A Sydney resident is seen wearing a mask while at Coogee Beach in the city's east. On Thursday 262 new cases were recorded in the state

A Sydney resident is seen wearing a mask while at Coogee Beach in the city’s east. On Thursday 262 new cases were recorded in the state

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