NSW records 1,257 new local COVID-19 cases and seven more deaths

New South Wales has reported 1,257 new locally acquired coronavirus cases and seven additional deaths in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday.

Despite announcing she would no longer be holding daily press conferences from Monday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian fronted the media for her usual 11am briefing.

Ms Berejiklian said she was concerned there has been a “slight” slowdown in the state’s vaccination rate.

“We have 46.2 per cent double-dosed adults in New South Wales of 16 and over which is great, and 78.5 per cent who have received their first dose,” she said.

“Obviously, it’s when that 46.2 per cent number gets to 70 per cent double dose that we can look forward to those freedoms that we announced recently in our roadmap.”

The Premier also warned unvaccinated residents would not necessarily be included in further easings of restrictions at the 80 per cent mark.

“Don’t assume that at 80 per cent double-dose vaccination unvaccinated people are are going to have all those freedoms,” she said.

“I want to make that point very clear. The Government is yet to finalise its plans in relation to what happens at 80 per cent double dose.”

The seven people who died include two men in their 90s, a woman in her 90s, three men in his 80s and a woman in her 60s.

There have now been 184 deaths in NSW since the beginning of the Delta outbreak in June.

There are currently 1189 coronavirus patients in the state’s hospitals.

Of those, 222 are in intensive care and 94 are on ventilators.

New ‘freedoms’ for the vaccinated
The government’s new ‘freedoms’ for Greater Sydney residents came into effect on Monday morning, with fully vaccinated people now allowed to gather outdoors.

Groups of five fully vaccinated adults who live outside the 12 local government areas of concern can gather together outside, as long as they are all within five kilometres of their homes.

In the 12 areas of concern, fully vaccinated people will only be allowed to gather outside for one hour per day and with members of their own household.

“It’s way too early for any of us to get complacent and we are concerned that an unexpected event, a super spreader event can suddenly have a major setback,” she said.

“So, whilst people start enjoying some things they couldn’t enjoy last week, I urge the community, please do not get complacent, do not let your guard down.”

The NSW-Queensland border bubble is also operating again, allowing people in northern NSW who aren’t locked down to travel north of the border for essential work, school or medical reasons.

From Monday, vaccinated people with a Queensland border pass can also travel north of the border to provide compassionate care or essential shopping if they come from 12 northern NSW local government areas that came out of lockdown on Saturday.

The border pass is not available for social reasons, like attending weddings or funerals or visiting family or friends.

Source: sbs.com.au