Lismore will remain in lockdown until Friday, September 10, along with the rest of NSW.

The decision to keep all of regional and rural NSW under stay at home orders was announced at this morning’s NSW Premier’s Covid update conference.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said “we appreciate the regions may not have cases and want to come out of lockdown, but health advises us to keep it longer”.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro said keeping the whole State under the same restrictions was helping keep case numbers down and taking pressure off the health care system.

“Sewage system surveillance in regional NSW has been showing virus fragments, in areas where there are no cases reported,” he said.

“It’s a tinder box waiting to explode.

“The reason you may not have cases is because of the restrictions implemented to stop movement in NSW.

“Now is the time to stay united and work with restrictions."

Restriction changes for the regions

Ms Berejiklian said from September 13, any LGAs not considered areas of concern will have a lessening of some restrictions.

Groups of five people will be allowed to gather outdoors in their own LGA - as long as all adults over 18 years of age in the group are vaccinated - and can show proof of vaccination.

“This option meets the mental health and wellbeing needs of community and is our lowest risk setting,” she said.

"You can have a picnic in the park, or gather for an event."

She also said people from outside your household still cannot enter your home.

In areas of concern in NSW, families are allowed to go out of their homes for an extra hour a day for recreation, on top the hour they are already allowed for exercise – as long as all the adults in the family are vaccinated.

Get ready for opening up

“We also call on industry and citizens to be ready for when the target of having 70% of the population vaccinated is reached," Ms Berejiklian said.

“There is no easy way to open up,” she said. “We will start to have the conversation about what will open – but it will only be for people who are vaccinated.

“Even at 80% full vaccination rates, people will still need to use QR codes and other current restrictions.

“The key message is that people must be vaccinated to participate in what will happen.

“So, dust off your Covid safety plans and get your QR codes.

“We are also working on an app that will allow you to sign in to a venue – and that will come out within weeks.”

“All other areas are under the same restrictions."

“Public health and safety comes first and we need to accept that Delta will always be with us and open up responsibly.

“Some people will get very ill – but we have to come to terms with it and we will manage it with high vaccination rates.”

Ms Berejiklian said the target of 70% vaccination would arrive sometime in October and that “we are doing better that expected”.

Case numbers

NSW recorded 1029 cases of community transmission yesterday and three deaths – people in their 30s, 60s and 70s - all unvaccinated 

Of these locally acquired cases, 185 are linked to a known case or cluster – 160 are household contacts and 25 are close contacts – and the source of infection for 844 cases is under investigation.

136000 people were vaccinated in the past 24 hours and more than 150,000 were tested.