NSW Cases Dip As Newcastle Lockdown Extended

The Hunter New England region recorded a staggering 82 new cases on Thursday, while all up New South Wales reported 941 community cases and tragically six deaths.

Cessnock saw a jump in cases with 19 new infections including seven in Kurri Kurri and five in Weston.

Of the new cases, 48 are linked to known outbreaks, while nine are a mystery and 25 remain under investigation.

The Hunter Briefing

Meanwhile, Premier Gladys Berejiklian has suggested that some freedoms will be bought forward when the 80 per cent double vaccine target is reached, rather than 1 December as earlier indicated.

What the freedoms are remains to be seen.

The Premier also announced schools will resume a week than scheduled with vaccination rates steaming ahead.

"When we set the date for schools opening on 25 October, we did it for two reasons - firstly to provide certainty for parents and school communities and secondly to make sure we’d already surpassed that 70% double dose figure"

"We didn’t realise at that stage how quickly New South Wales residents would take up the opportunity to get vaccinated," she said.

Ms Berejiklian said that a safe way of resuming schools would be delivered through a staggered approach.

"Whilst we can bring that week forward, the start date forward by a week - which I know is welcome relief to students, teachers and families - the staggered recommencement will still be in place. Schools feel better in having that staggered resumption, but at least all students, irrespective of what year they’re in, can look to returning to face-to-face learning a week ahead of schedule"

- Premier Berejiklian

In the meantime, stay-at-home orders have been extended to 11 October for several LGAs in regional NSW.

They include Bathurst Regional, Bourke, Central Coast, City of Cessnock, Dubbo Regional, Eurobodalla, Goulburn Mulwaree, Kiama, City of Lake Macquarie, City of Lithgow, City of Maitland, City of Newcastle, Port Stephens, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional, City of Shellharbour, City of Shoalhaven, and Wingecarribee.

Hilltops and Walgett LGAs in the states mid-west will however be lifted out of lockdown from Friday.

While, from 3pm today, a seven-day stay-at-home order will be introduced for the Snowy Monaro LGA.

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