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Sydney hits six million Covid-19 vaccine target as it inches closer to freedom despite 753 new cases recorded overnight

Sydney is one step closer to freedom with Gladys Berejiklian's target of six million Covid vaccines hit today - even as 753 new cases were recorded.

Of the locally acquired cases, 134 are linked to a known cluster, 108 are household contacts and 26 are close contacts.

The source of infection for 619 cases is under investigation, and no deaths were recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Monday.   

On Tuesday morning, she said 60 per cent of the state's population has had at least one jab and 32 per cent have had one - 48,761 vaccines were administered on Monday.

The NSW premier has long promised the target of six million jabs would trigger 'greater freedoms', at least for the 31 per cent in the state fully vaccinated.  

Those are likely to be extremely limited with NSW recording more than 800 cases a day, the vast majority in western Sydney.

'I'm so pleased and grateful New South Wales has had 6 million jabs,' Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Tuesday morning.

'We have hit the milestone and I look forward to making the announcement on Thursday or Friday this week as to what fully vaccinated people will be able to do from the month of September because of the target we have set.'    

Premier Gladys Berejiklian promised on Monday that fully vaccinated NSW residents that they will have 'at least one' freedom restored. Pictured: a woman in exercising in Sydney

Premier Gladys Berejiklian promised on Monday that fully vaccinated NSW residents that they will have 'at least one' freedom restored. Pictured: a woman in exercising in Sydney

Seventy-three cases were in isolation throughout their infectious period and 22 were in isolation for part of their infectious period.   

There are 608 Covid-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 107 people in intensive care, 34 of whom require ventilation. 

Thirty-six new cases were recorded in far west NSW, including 23 in Dubbo, 14 in Wilcannia and five in Parkes. 

The 12 local councils of concern in the city's west woke up to their second day of even harsher restrictions on Tuesday, including a curfew and one-hour exercise limit. 

Chief health officer Kerry Chant singled out Auburn, Maryland, Yagoona, Guildford, Bankstown, Punchbowl, and Blacktown as particularly worrying suburbs with growing case numbers. 

But Ms Berejiklian thanked people in those suburbs for booking jabs, specifically residents of Blacktown.  

'We've seen Blacktown go from one of the lowest rates of vaccination to the highest in the state,' she said.

But freedom is on the horizon with more vaccinations reported on Tuesday moving the state closer to the 70 per cent target to end the lockdown.

The premier on Monday promised to reward double-jabbed residents with a 'new freedom' in September for reaching the state's first vaccination target - most likely to be haircuts.

Ms Berejiklian also appears poised to end the lockdown, now in its ninth week, when the state hits 70 per cent vaccination in October. 

Doherty Institute Director Professor Sharon Lewin confirmed modelling that the government is relying on to end the relentless cycle of lockdowns does not depend on the number of infections circulating in the community. 

'Zero-Covid is no longer the goal once you have 70 to 80 per cent of people vaccinated. Whether you start at 30 cases or 800 cases you can still open up safely,' she told ABC's The Drum on Monday.

'With 70 per cent vaccination you will get hundreds of thousands of cases, even starting from 30 cases. However, in the presence of vaccination, your deaths and hospitalisations will be greatly reduced.' 

NSW has now exceeded the record number of daily cases set by Victoria at the height of its second wave last year. Pictured: Women exercising in Sydney on Monday

NSW has now exceeded the record number of daily cases set by Victoria at the height of its second wave last year. Pictured: Women exercising in Sydney on Monday

Debate on how to interpret the Institute's roadmap out of lockdowns and interstate border closures has been fiercely debated by governments of Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia who have voiced opposition about reopening amid spiralling cases.

For weeks now Ms Berejiklian has repeatedly promised that extra freedoms would be given when NSW completes six million jabs, with that milestone likely to be confirmed on Tuesday, prompting expectations of at least a small relaxation of the rules.

The premier confirmed such a plan was in the works on Monday night during a TV interview blitz, her first since the outbreak started on June 16.

NSW had completed more than 5.9 million jabs on Monday, meaning the six million target would be reached a week earlier than scheduled after a huge vaccination drive, particularly in south-west Sydney where daily Covid cases are in the hundreds.

Pictured: People arriving at the vaccination hub in Homebush, Sydney, on Monday August 23

Pictured: People arriving at the vaccination hub in Homebush, Sydney, on Monday August 23

Speaking to the Nine Network on Tuesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said his home state had managed to keep cases low - as it had to - while vaccination rates ramped up.

'Overseas they've got tens of thousands of cases every day,' he said.

'I was talking to Boris Johnson the other day he's amazed that our cases are that low. It's all relative.'

A record 738,000 people were vaccinated in NSW last week, with 5.9 million jabs to date.

Ms Berejiklian has previously flagged increased freedoms for fully vaccinated residents once NSW records six million vaccinations.

With that total to be reached on Tuesday, Ms Berejiklian on Monday night said the government would offer 'at least one' eased restriction on residents who are fully vaccinated.

She did not outline what that would be, saying it was still being worked out by health authorities, but it would come by week's end.

Real freedom will not come until 70 per cent of the state's population is fully vaccinated

'In NSW, we are likely to have that at the end of October and hit 80 per cent - which gives us life before the outbreak, pretty much life as we knew it - in the middle of November,' she told the Nine Network.

Lockdown will remain in place until at least August 28 in regional NSW and at least September 30 in Sydney and surrounds.

Ms Berejiklian acknowledged her government had underestimated the virulence of the Delta strain, electing to avoid an immediate lockdown when it first appeared in Bondi in mid-June.

But she reiterated all governments would eventually need to tolerate COVID-19 in the community as 'we can't live like hermits forever'.

'I am very up front about being held accountable, I lead the government, but we base all the decisions on the best advice at the time. We will not be perfect,' Ms Berejiklian said.

LATEST NSW EXPOSURE SITES 

Anyone at the following exposure site at the times listed should get tested immediately and isolate for 14 days regardless of the result.

Boolaroo: Costco Warehouse - Friday 20 August, All day, Thursday 19 August, All day, Wednesday 18 August, All day, Tuesday 17 August, All day, Monday 16 August, All day   

Anyone at the following exposure sites at the times listed should get tested immediately and isolate until you get a negative result.

Bathurst: Barratt and Smith Pathology -  Friday 20 August, 9am to 9:30am

Bathurst:  DHM Pathology -  Thursday 19 August, 2:10pm to 2:15pm 

Bathurst: Specsavers Bathurst -  Friday 20 August, 9:30am to 10am 

Bellambi: Bunnings Bellambi -  Saturday 21 August, 8am to 8:30am   

Dubbo: Atlas Kebabs -Friday 20 August, 11am to 9pm, Thursday 19 August, 11am to 9pm, Wednesday 18 August 2021, 11am to 9pm 

Dubbo: Dan Murphy's - Thursday 19 August, 3:55pm to 4:10pm, Tuesday 10 August, 2:30pm to 3pm, Monday 9 August, 2pm to 2:20pm 

Dubbo: Service NSW - Saturday 21 August, 11:30am to 11:50am

Dubbo: Shell Petrol Station, Corner of Victoria Street and Whylandra Street,  Wednesday 18 August, 11:30am to 12:30pm

Dubbo: Woolworths Orana Mall - Thursday 19 August, 11am to 11:10am, Wednesday 18 August, 12:30pm to 1pm, Tuesday 17 August, 3:25pm to 3:45pm, 2pm to 3pm, 10:30am to 12:30pm, Saturday 14 August, 3:10pm to 4pm,  11:40am to 11:55am, Friday 13 August, 11:30am to 11:50am, 10am to 10:35am, Thursday 12 August, 6pm to 7:20pm, 11:15am to 12:30pm, Wednesday 11 August, 9:15am to 10:15am, 12:30pm to 1pm, Tuesday 10 August, 2:30pm to 3pm, Monday 9 August, 7:45pm to 8:15pm, 3pm to 3:15pm, 11:25am to 1pm, Saturday 7 August, 10:20am to 10:45am

Dubbo: Woolworths Riverdale -  Friday 20 August, 12:30pm to 12:40pm, Thursday 19 August, 3:45pm to 3:50pm, Monday 16 August, 4:20pm to 4:35pm, Saturday 14 August, 1:10pm to 1:30pm, Friday 13 August, 11:40am to 12 noon, Wednesday 11 August, 6:30am to 7:30am, 5:45pm to 6:05pm, 3:35pm to 3:50pm, 11:25am to 12:10pm, 10am to 10:20am, Monday 9 August, 4:05pm to 4:35pm, Sunday 8 August, 3:30pm to 4pm

Forbes: Bunnings, Saturday, August 21 from 10.30am to 11.05am

Gilgandra: BP Gilgandra, Monday, August 16 from 12pm to 1pm

Gulargambone: Australia Post, 39 Bourbah Street, Wednesday, August 18 from 3.25pm to 3.40pm

Gulargambone: Gulargambone Bowling Club, 41 Armitre Street, Thursday, August 19 from 5.25pm to 5.40pm

Kelso: Clancy Ford - Thursday 19 August, 2:20pm to 2:30pm

Kelso: FoodWorks - Sunday 22 August, 9am to 9:15am

Kelso: IGA Trinity Heights -  Thursday 19 August, 1:40pm to 2pm

Kelso: Terry White Chemist - Thursday 19 August, 12:35pm to 12:55pm

Kelso: Trinity Heights Bakehouse - Thursday 19 August, 12:35pm to 12:45pm

Lithgow: Lithgow Medical Clinic - Friday 20 August, 9:50am to 10:40am

Lithgow: Westend Newsagency (Australia Post Bowenfels) -  Tuesday 17 August, 1:45pm to 1:55pm

Orange: BP North Orange - Saturday 21 August, 1:15pm to 1:25pm, Friday 20 August, 5:55pm to 6pm

Orange: Bunnings - Saturday 21 August, 1:05pm to 1:15pm, Monday 16 August, 8:05am to 8:20am

Orange: Vivien's Hotbread -  Friday 20 August, 12 noon to 1pm

Parkes: Cunningham's IGA - Sunday 22 August, 10:35am to 11am, Saturday 21 August, 7pm to 7:10pm

Parkes: D'Aquino's Parkes Cellars -  Saturday 21 August, 4pm to 4:15pm

Valla: BP Nambucca Heads -  Thursday 19 August, 2pm to 2:15pm

Wallsend: BWS Wallsend -  Saturday 14 August, 4:20pm to 4:30pm

Wellington: Woolworths -  Thursday 19 August, 2:15pm to 2:45pm, Tuesday 17 August, 3:50pm to 4:20pm, Sunday 15 August, 11:25am to 11:40am

Wollongong: Sydney Tools -  Saturday 21 August, 8:25am to 8:40am  

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