NSW has reported 1262 new local coronavirus cases on Sunday, as the state prepares for its first easing of restrictions for the fully vaccinated this week.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said 45.6 per cent of people aged 16 and over in the state were now fully vaccinated, and 78 per cent of this age group had received their first dose.
“We know that when somebody has signed up for their first dose of vaccine the second one is guaranteed,” Ms Berejiklian said, encouraging people to encourage friends and family they knew had not yet been vaccinated to book in for a shot.
Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said she was confident the state would hit 80 per cent first-dose vaccination coverage on Tuesday or Wednesday this week.
“My challenge to the NSW community is let’s get to 90 per cent the following week, and let’s also work across our most disadvantaged communities to make sure nobody is left behind, as we strive to have the most equitable distribution of vaccine of any country in the world,” she added.
There were seven deaths reported on Sunday, including a man in his 20s who died at Nepean Hospital, who Dr Chant said had “significant underlying health conditions” and was unvaccinated. A woman in her 40s from south-west Sydney died at Campbelltown Hospital, a woman in her 50s from south-west Sydney died at St George Hospital, a man in his 50s from western Sydney died at Westmead Hospital and a man in his 70s, a man in his 80s and a woman in her 80s died at Liverpool Hospital.
Dr Chant stressed she was not announcing that cases who had died were unvaccinated to lay any blame.
“When we talk about the fact that people are dying, whether they are vaccinated or have underlying health conditions, it really is to highlight the fact that there are still many people in the community who are elderly and not vaccinated or who have underlying health conditions,” she said.
Health authorities remain concerned about the spread of the virus among vulnerable communities in the inner Sydney suburbs of Glebe, Camperdown, Redfern and Waterloo. Although more than half of cases continue to be recorded in the city’s west, there were 135 new cases in the central Sydney local health district and 161 in the south-eastern district.
As Sydneysiders flocked to beaches and parks over the weekend to enjoy the outdoors amid summer temperatures, Health Minister Brad Hazzard flagged further easing restrictions to outdoor activities before the state hits its 70 per cent vaccination target.
People flock to Sydney beaches as the temperature hits 28 degrees on Saturday. Credit:Rhett Wyman
On Monday, fully vaccinated residents outside the LGAs of concern will enjoy their first taste of freedom with up to five adults allowed to gather outdoors for recreation and leisure activities such as picnics. Within the LGAs of concern, households will be allowed to undertake outdoor recreation for two hours a day, as long as the adults are vaccinated.
Mr Hazzard on Saturday said the outdoors was the best place people could be during the pandemic. “Fresh air we know is the safest place to be at the present time.”
But according to the city’s Uber drivers, some Sydneysiders aren’t willing to wait for more restrictions to ease and are taking freedoms into their own hands – bending the rules to attend hook-ups, parties and cosmetic treatments.
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Dan Tehan says Australia will share its QR-code vaccine certificates with its network of embassies this week to ensure the nation’s immigration system is prepared to welcome international travellers later this year.
It comes amid warnings from the nation’s airports that foreign airlines are at risk of pulling out of Australia due to concerns about a lack of clarity in the government’s reopening plan.
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NSW records 1262 new local cases ahead of ‘picnic day’ - Sydney Morning Herald
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