Lockdown lifts for some NSW regional towns, 1405 new cases, five deaths

The daily case count stands at 1405 and five more fatalities takes the NSW death toll from the Delta outbreak to 153.

The easing of the stay-at-home orders for some regions was announced by Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Deputy Premier John Barilaro as was the roadmap to reopening once the state's double-dose vaccination rate hits 70 per cent.

The Western NSW health district and Dubbo continue to bear the brunt of the regional outbreak, with 24 new cases emerging on Wednesday.

It's a region that won't be coming out of the lockdown that was scheduled to end at midnight Friday.

"For regional and rural NSW today, vast amounts of the regions will open - Mid North Coast, the north coast, north-west, Albury, to Riverina and Murrumbidgee areas," deputy premier John Barilaro said.

"For the areas coming out of lock down, you are not coming back to a pre-lockdown environment. There will be capacity limits for our hotels, cafes and restaurants, including the four square metre rule, mask wearing, social distancing.

"There is rules around certain activities that won't recommence. Community sport won't be permitted yet.

"We know through the sewerage surveillance, there is seeding across the regions and there is a risk that the COVID pandemic continues in regional and rural NSW."

One case is one case too many in the regions, Mr Barilaro said, flagging the emergence of a case will lead to a minimum 14-day lockdown.

READ MORE:

More than 100,000 people were vaccinated yesterday.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said: "We are seeing that rate slightly decline and we want to call upon anybody who hasn't had any doses to come forward."

Victoria recorded 324 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases overnight - its highest figure since August 2020 - as those who live in the regions prepare to emerge from lockdown.

The health department on Thursday confirmed 107 cases were linked to known outbreaks, with the source of the remaining 217 infections under investigation.

It brings the total number of active COVID-19 cases in the state to 2166.

The last time Victoria recorded more than 300 cases was on August 14, 2020, when 301 infections were logged.

Queensland has recorded one new local case of COVID-19, with a 10-year-old boy testing positive. Authorities were not worried about the new case, which was linked to the existing Beenleigh cluster.