NSW reported 1290 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, another daily infection record, and four deaths.
The deaths recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday include a man in his 50s in Dubbo, two men in their 70s and a woman in her 60s.
The toll for the current NSW outbreak now sits at 93, with the national toll for the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic surpassing 1000.
In NSW, there are 840 COVID-19 patients in hospital, with 137 people in intensive care and 48 ventilated.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she expected October would be the worst month for hospitalisations and pressure on the health system.
Victoria revealed 73 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, with 52 linked to known outbreaks after Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed the lockdown would not end on September 2.
The ACT has recorded another 12 coronavirus cases.
Of the new locally acquired cases, half are linked to known infections or clusters and at least six had been in the community while infected.
Chief Minister Andrew Barr says his government is weighing up whether to extend the city’s three-week lockdown scheduled to end on Thursday.
Ms Berejiklian said her state could reach 70 per cent single-dose vaccination coverage within days.
Once it reaches double-dose coverage — roughly in mid-October — a number of freedoms will be restored to the fully vaccinated. Further freedoms are restored at 80 per cent double-dose coverage.
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Ms Berejiklian said those freedoms would be restored regardless of COVID-19 case numbers at the time, with vaccinations preventing hospitalisation and death.
The government, having issued its six million jab target, earlier this week provided a small “treat” to fully vaccinated NSW residents, enabling them to have small picnics outdoors.
“We will stick to our word,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“No matter what the case numbers are doing – of course we want to see them come down – double-dose 70 per cent in NSW means freedom for those who are (fully) vaccinated.
“It doesn’t matter where you live or what your circumstances are.”
As of Friday, 65.39 per cent of eligible NSW residents had received at least one vaccine dose and 35.43 per cent were fully vaccinated.
Ms Berejiklian also reiterated QR code check-ins, social distancing and contact tracing would remain in use for the long haul.
“We will be doing things differently when we get to 70 per cent – the way we deal with quarantine will be different, the way we deal with (movement) will be different, but it’ll be much freer,” she said.
“There will be opportunities for those who are fully vaccinated to live more freely at 70 per cent double dose … (and) there are some things we cannot extend to people who are not vaccinated.”
It comes as paramedics in NSW are becoming increasingly stretched by the state’s accumulation of COVID-19 infections, with demand equivalent to the “busiest New Year’s Eve”.
At least two western Sydney hospitals — Westmead and Blacktown — have called “code yellows” this week as their caseload climbs.
While NSW has a surge capacity of 2000 ICU beds, unions fear the quality of care would be greatly diluted if all beds were deployed.
Ms Berejiklian warned the peak of ICU admissions may not arrive until October but said vaccination would gradually break the connection between COVID-19 infection and hospitalisation.
The government has also injected an additional $8 million into suicide prevention measures among high-risk groups such as the elderly, regional NSW residents and the LGBTIQ community.
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