SYDNEY – The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) announced today that many restrictions for fully inoculated people will end three weeks earlier than previously intended, in response to the faster-than-expected rate of vaccination.
Many of the changes scheduled for December 1, such as no limit on visitors to a home, no rules for outdoor gatherings with fewer than 1,000 people, and indoor swimming pools reopening for all purposes, will be brought forward to Monday, November 8, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Businesses will be able to welcome in more fully vaccinated customers with all premises to move to a one person per 2-square-metre rule, and nightclubs will be able to reopen dance floors.
The earlier ease of restrictions came as the state is steadily ramping up its fully vaccinated rate. As of last Sunday, 87.8% of NSW residents aged 16 have been fully vaccinated while 93.6% received first Covid-19 doses. For residents aged 12 to 15, 62.3% were fully vaccinated and 79.3% received first doses.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said he still wants to see the inoculation rate climb up to “around 95%”.
To achieve that goal the government is motivating unvaccinated people to roll up their sleeves for their two Covid-19 jabs.
Initially, the NSW government had said the unvaccinated will have “freedom” by December 1, but Perrottet said they will now have to wait until December 15 or whenever the vaccination rate reaches 95%.
“Our vaccination rates have been key and ultimately, we want to get to a point where NSW is open and free and we believe the changes we have made today enable that to occur,” he said.
Meanwhile, the daily figures of NSW continue to trend down from the peak in September, with 173 new cases and four deaths recorded on today. – Bernama, November 2, 2021
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