Gladys Berejiklian is accused of 'keeping Sydney in the dark' as she promises 'greater freedoms' once 80 per cent of NSW is vaccinated but refuses to reveal what they might be

Gladys Berejiklian has vowed NSW residents will enjoy 'greater freedoms' once 80 per cent of Sydneysiders are vaccinated, but refused to reveal which restrictions will be lifted.

NSW reported a record 681 Covid cases on Thursday as the state's highly infectious Delta outbreak continues to spiral out of control.

The premier reiterated high vaccination rates are key to ending lockdowns and curbing surging infections, announcing 5.5million jabs have been administered to date.

'Once we get to mid November we expect 80 per cent of the population to be fully vaccinated. It gives enormous opportunities for greater freedoms than we do today,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Thursday.

'It will depend on the case numbers, but life will be much freer than what it is now.'

Gladys has promised 'greater freedoms' for NSW residents once Sydney's vaccination rate hits 80 per cent as the state reports a record breaking 681 new Covid cases 

The premier has previously hinted Sydneysiders could have some new freedoms as soon as next month. 

The NSW premier said the government was hoping six million residents will have received the jab by August 28th, which is the day the Sydney lockdown is supposed to end.

However, with cases remaining stubbornly high at over 600, most restrictions are likely to remain until at least the end of September.

'I do want to stress that once we get to 6 million, it does give us options as to what we can consider in the months of September and October,' she said on Tuesday.

'Obviously by the end of October, we will get to 70 per cent of double doses, which gives us more options about what we can do.

'Whilst there will not be complete freedom at 70 per cent, or even 80 per cent, depending on the case numbers, life will be much freer than what it is today and that's the point I want to make.'

She urged those living in Covid-riddled Sydney to roll up their sleeves and said more details would be known closer to August 28.

While new freedoms could be on the cards of Sydneysiders by September, restrictions such as mask wearing and scanning QR codes will remain

The NSW government is hopeful that six million residents will be fully vaccinated by the end of August (pictured police on horseback in Bondi Beach)

'There will be opportunities to consider what things we'll be able to offer the community in September and October,' she said.

As of Tuesday, 5.2 million jabs have been administered state-wide - while 52 per cent of NSW's eligible residents have received at least one dose.

Ms Berejiklian said that even at 80 per cent of the population being jabbed, there would still be restrictions that remain such as mask wearing and mandatory QR scanning codes.

'There will always be a level of protection we need to have, but life will be much freer than what it is today and that is the key point,' she said.

'We won't have to live with the harsh restrictions that we're living with today.' 

From the new infections announced on Tuesday, at least 54 people were circulating in the community for all or part of their infectious period while 297 cases remain under investigation.

An unvaccinated woman in her 70s from western Sydney died in Westmead Hospital.

Southwest and western Sydney continue to be the epicentre of the outbreak and 70 per cent of cases in NSW are people under 40.

As a result additional doses of the Pfizer vaccine will be on offer to those aged 16 to 39 in the LGAs of concern.

Seventy-five per cent of Tuesday's new cases were found in people under the age of 40, underlining the need to get jabs into the arms of the state's younger generation

The premier said the relentless spread of the outbreak in NSW had reached the point where she now assumed transmission rates would continue to climb.

'I say that only as a realist because when you have cumulative days with high cases, there is a tipping point where the numbers keep going up,' she said.

She urged residents in seven suburbs in Sydney's west and south-west where the virus was spreading most rapidly to increase their vaccination rates and to stay home unless they had an absolutely essential reason to leave.

Those suburbs are Blacktown, Seven Hills, Merrylands, Guildford, Auburn, Bankstown and Greenacre.

Seventy-five per cent of Tuesday's new cases were found in people under the age of 40, underlining the need to get jabs into the arms of the state's younger generation.

NSW recorded 452 new Covid-19 infections on Tuesday. The entire state is now in the midst of a lockdown

Ms Berejiklian said a 'vaccination blitz' in Sydney's worst-affected suburbs would aim to immunise 500,000 16 to 39-year-olds over the next three weeks.

All of NSW is now locked down and a 21-day police blitz came into effect on Monday to enforce new regulations with almost 18,000 police officers supported by 800 members of the Australian Defence Force.

NSW police issued nearly 600 infringement notices to people flouting tough new health orders.

Deputy Police Commissioner Gary Worboys said 'the time was over for cautions and warnings'.

Police also conducted 3800 welfare checks to see if people were following stay-at-home orders.

One Covid positive man from the hotspot of Fairfield in Sydney's southwest wasn't home when police arrived and was later unable to provide an excuse for his actions.

Non-compliance fines of up to $5000 are now in place with people confined to within five kilometres of their homes.

Pictured is a massive queue at one of Sydney's vaccination hubs

People flouting the two-person outdoor exercise rule or travelling into regional NSW without a travel permit could be fined $3000.

Meanwhile, Sydney hospitals are dealing with staff shortages as COVID clusters send workers into isolation at Nepean and St George Hospitals.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said there was no question the hospital system was under enormous pressure.

He said the case of a long-term cancer patient who contracted Covid-19 at St George Hospital had snowballed into 80 health staff out of action for their mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Four patients and two staff members have tested positive at that hospital while 21 patients in the ward remain in isolation following their test, NSW Health's Jeremy McAnulty said.

There are now 116 cases in western NSW, including two in Bourke as well as one person confirmed overnight in far western Broken Hill.

REGIONAL NSW LOCKDOWN 

The lockdown applies for the whole of regional NSW, effective from 5pm Saturday until 12.01am Sunday 22 August 2021.

Everyone must stay at home unless they have a reasonable excuse to leave. They also cannot have visitors in their home from outside their household, including family and friends.

People still can have one visitor for carers' responsibilities or provide care or assistance, or for compassionate reasons, including where two people are in a relationship but do not live together.

All hospitality venues must be closed to the public, including pubs, restaurants and cafes, except for takeaway.

Some other retail premises are required to close.

Anyone who leaves their home must carry a mask with them.

Masks must be worn when working outdoors, by all school staff, by all workers in outdoor markets, outdoor shopping strips, and in an outdoor queues waiting for products such as coffee and food.

Every employer across NSW must require their employees to work from home unless it is not reasonably practicable.

It is a reasonable excuse to leave your home for work – but only if it is not practicable to work from home.

There will be a one-day 'grace period' for planned weddings and funerals in the regional areas that have not already been subject to a lockdown.

From Monday, small funerals and memorial services of 10 persons only (excluding the persons conducting the service) will be permitted.