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Premier Gladys Berejiklian had foreshadowed for several weeks that once the state reached 6 million doses in arms, certain lockdown restrictions could ease. NSW hit this first vaccination goal a full week earlier than anticipated, driven largely by the promise of "additional freedoms". However, the details, as announced on August 26, are a lot less significant than many people had hoped.
From September 13, households in the 12 hotspot LGAs in Greater Sydney will be allowed to go out together for one more additional hour of outdoor recreation a day, including for picnics, provided all the adults present are fully vaccinated. Households will still not be permitted to mingle with other households, however. Everywhere else in the state, from September 13, groups of up to five adults may congregate outside provided everyone over the age of 18 who is present is fully vaccinated. All other lockdown settings, including mask mandates, will remain unchanged and in effect.
Speculation ahead of the announcement had optimistically suggested that hairdressers and gyms might be allowed to reopen at 6 million jabs. However, the premier said that businesses will only be allowed to reopen once the state had reached 70 per cent of the eligible adult population fully vaccinated. At current rates of vaccination, NSW should hit this target in mid-to-late October.
The Delta outbreak continues to surge in NSW, particularly in the western suburbs of Sydney, where 80 per cent of active cases are now located. On August 26, the state recorded a grim milestone, breaching 1000 new cases in 24 hours. There are currently more than 12,000 active cases in NSW.
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