NSW is going ahead with lifting more restrictions on Monday after the state hit the sought-after 80 per cent vaccination rate two days earlier than expected.
NSW has hit the sought-after 80 per cent vaccination rate it raced so swiftly towards, even earlier than expected on the first lockdown-free weekend in months.
Newly installed Premier Dominic Perrottet broke the good news on social media on Saturday, two days before the target was expected to be reached.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said on Friday the state was “flying towards” its 80 per cent double dose target, with more than 78 per cent of NSW residents aged 16 and over fully vaccinated and more than 91 per cent having had one dose.
That meant Monday was firming as the day more rules would be relaxed for fully vaccinated people under the “reopening road map”.
But any hope those restrictions would ease sooner were dashed in the same minute Mr Perrottet posted his first tweet, with the Liberal leader confirming Monday remained the day.
“Summer is NSW is looking good,” he added.
Federal government data released on Saturday – seemingly before Mr Perrottet’s tweet – showed NSW was 79.8 per cent double dosed.
NSW is now the first state in Australia to reach the double dose milestone, with the ACT close behind at 78.8 per cent.
Tasmania is in third place, with 68.1 per cent of its population fully vaccinated, followed by Victoria (65 per cent), Northern Territory (58.8 per cent), South Australia (58.1 per cent), Queensland (56.2 per cent) and Western Australia (55.2 per cent).
Only months ago, Australia had one of the lowest fully vaccinated population rates among developed countries.
NSW was last Monday released from a three-month lockdown that heavily restricted the movements of residents.
The next stage of the reopening roadmap will allow 20 visitors into a home, 50 people to gather in outdoor settings, 200 people to attend outdoor events and 3000 to attend controlled seated events.
Community sport will resume, the cap on guests at weddings and funerals will be lifted, and drinking while standing and dancing will be permitted indoors and outdoors at hospitality venues, with nightclubs reopening.
There will be no cap on personal services such as hairdressers and places of worship.
Fully vaccinated people will not have to wear masks in office buildings, while only hospitality staff will be required to wear masks outdoors.
“We have only been able to do this because of the significant effort that people right across New South Wales have made in getting us to this point,” Mr Perrottet said last week.
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