Dominic Perrottet says he is "very confident" resuming face-to-face education will go well despite the potential for COVID-19 outbreaks, with some NSW schools already closed for deep cleaning.

"There will be challenges along the way," the premier told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.

"We know that, we've had a number of schools close but the alternative is to keep all schools closed.

"We're not doing that."

The state added 296 locally acquired infections to its COVID-19 caseload on Sunday along with four deaths: two men in their 60s, one in his 70s and one in his 80s.

Kindergarten, year 1 and year 12 students went back to school in NSW last week and remaining pupils will return to classrooms on Monday.

On Friday NSW Education announced seven schools were closing for deep cleaning after positive COVID-19 cases, and a further two were added to the list on Saturday.

Asked about reports up to 160 schools throughout NSW had staffing issues as students returned, Mr Perrottet said he was aware there would be some shortages.

"There will always be teachers and people across our state who just decide not to get vaccinated," he said.

"That's their choice. We believe it's a bad choice but ultimately, that success rate of 95 per cent has helped us get our kids back in the classroom."

Opposition leader Chris Minns said on Sunday he would push the government to provide extra funding for school counselling and tutoring to help kids who might have "skipped a beat" with the recent disruptions to schooling in NSW.

Three of the men who were counted in Sunday's COVID-19 death toll were unvaccinated while one was fully vaccinated.

There have been 498 COVID-related deaths in NSW since June 16 and 554 in total since the start of the pandemic.

Some 480 people with the virus remain in NSW hospitals, 119 of them in intensive care and 67 of those in need of ventilation.

Health officials say almost 67,000 COVID-19 tests were conducted in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday.

More than 93 per cent of NSW residents aged 16 or over have now received at least one vaccine dose, while 84.4 per cent have had both jabs.

Among 12-15-year-olds, 77.6 per cent have had their first dose and 48.8 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, Halloween enthusiasts are being warned to keep trick-or-treating COVID-safe next weekend.

"If you and your family are planning to celebrate Halloween this year ... aim to keep the celebrations outside, provide closed packaging for treats and instead of communal lolly bowls consider other ways to distribute your treats," NSW Health's Jeremy McAnulty advised on Saturday.

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Melbourne and regional Victoria will reunite in a matter of days, as residents get a glimpse of life beyond the state's next COVID-19 vaccination milestones.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday announced the latest round of roadmap rules will take effect from 6pm on Friday, with the state forecast to reach 80 per cent full vaccination of people 16 and over sometime next weekend.

Statewide travel can resume under the changes, reconnecting Melbourne with the regions for the first time since the city's 77-day lockdown lifted.

"That means it is a proper Melbourne Cup long weekend, informally, for people to travel, to book holidays and do all sorts of things," Mr Andrews told reporters.

In addition, masks no longer need to be worn outdoors, indoor entertainment venues, gyms and retail can reopen for fully vaccinated patrons, and capacity limits increase for restaurants, pubs and cafes.

Students from every year level across the state also return to full-time, face-to-face learning on November 1 before the public holiday that Tuesday.

The premier acknowledged school settings would remain "a little bit different" to normal, given those under 12 cannot be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Longer term, Mr Andrews laid out a plan for the state once 90 per cent of people 12 and over are full vaccinated, forecast on or around November 24.

All venue caps and density quotients will be scrapped at that point, along with mandatory indoor masks outside of high-risk or low-vaccinated settings such as hospitals and schools.

Limits on home and outdoor gatherings will also be shelved, paving the way for Christmas to return to normal.

But Mr Andrews warned Victoria's "vaccinated economy" would remain into 2022, with those who refuse to get the jab excluded from workplaces, venues and major events.

"For the purpose of the economy, for the purposes of living your life, the only rules are going to be: if you're not vaccinated, you're not getting in," he said.

That includes fans wanting to go to the Boxing Day Test at the MCG, where Mr Andrews is hopeful 80,000-plus cricket fans will gather for day one.

At the 90 per cent target, vaccine passport requirements will also be expanded to staff and patrons of non-essential retail traders including bookshops and shoe stores.

Some 73.7 per cent of Victorians 16 and over have now received both doses, and Mr Andrews said the state remains on track to become one of the most vaccinated places in the world.

Meanwhile, Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley plans to write to the federal government about a growing outbreak at a Melbourne hotel housing refugees and asylum seekers.

The Australian Border Force confirmed 20 detainees at the city's Park Hotel had tested positive for COVID-19 as of Sunday morning.

Seventeen infected detainees are being treated inside the hotel, while one has been taken to hospital.

Mr Foley said state health authorities were "quite concerned" and want to check COVID-19 infection controls inside the facility are up to standard.

"We're not saying that isn't the case but we just don't have the clarity of oversight and we're seeking some assurances from the Commonwealth," he said.

A number of supporters gathered at Lincoln Square at the front of the hotel for a peaceful protest on Saturday as detainees quarantined in their rooms above.

Victoria reported 1935 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths on Sunday, taking the toll from its current outbreak to 223.

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The federal government is launching two new coronavirus campaigns - one aimed at vaccination stragglers and the other focused on Australia's first people.

The campaigns come as Australia passed 34.2 million vaccinations, reaching 86.6 per cent first doses for those aged 16 and above and 73.1 per cent for those fully vaccinated with two doses.

Australia's vaccine rollout co-ordinator John Frewen said the new campaign "Spread Freedom" is focused on that last 10 to 15 per cent of the nation who are yet to come forward and get vaccinated.

"It is designed to really highlight the close links between vaccination and either regaining those freedoms that we all want to enjoy, or protecting those freedoms in the states where we haven't yet seen outbreaks," Lieutenant General Frewen told reporters in Canberra on Sunday.

"If you want to be fully protected before Christmas, then you need to start coming forward now to get that first dose to get the whole process done."

The second campaign, "For All Of Us", is aimed at Australia's indigenous people.

He said more than 60 per cent of First Nations people had had their first dose and close to 50 per cent were fully vaccinated.

"Still a long way to go, but for the past fortnight now, the first dose rates for Indigenous Australians have exceeded the national first-dose rates, which is very encouraging," he said.

Parts of Australia now exceed 90 per cent in terms of single dose vaccinations, which former deputy chief medical officer Nick Coatsworth says should see COVID-19 lockdowns being a thing of the past.

Professor Coatsworth says the high rate of vaccination provides important relief for Australia's healthcare workers.

"If we see hospitalisation rates continue to decrease, despite NSW opening up, then it would be very difficult, in fact I don't think anyone would suggest you would need more lockdowns in that sort of situation," Prof Coatsworth told Sky News' Sunday Agenda program.

"If hospitalisation rates increase you might see more targeted restrictions coming back."

NSW, Victoria and the ACT have emerged from lengthy lockdowns in the past couple of weeks.

Prof Coatsworth said children needed to be back at school whether they were vaccinated or not, noting the deep state of anxiety among parents during lockdowns.

"It is overwhelmingly a mild disease in children. There are far more serious infectious diseases in children than COVID-19," Prof Coatsworth said.

"Ultimately, the biggest damage that we are doing at the moment is having kids not at school"

He struggled to see the justification of schools opening, then quickly closing again when there was an infection.

Education Minister Alan Tudge agreed schools needed to stay open whenever possible.

"Yes, there are going to be infections in schools, but let's not close the entire school down because of one infection, let's rapidly test the close contacts of that individual child," Mr Tudge said.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet is confident the return of students and teachers in his state on Monday will go well, although concedes there will be challenges.

"We've had a number of schools close but the alternative is to keep all schools closed. We're not doing that," he told reporters in Sydney.

The state reported 296 new coronavirus cases and four deaths on Sunday.

In Victoria, Premier Daniel Andrews announced a further easing in restrictions for Friday when the state is expected to reach an 80 per cent double-dosed vaccination rate.

The state reported 1935 new infections and 11 deaths on Sunday, while the ACT announced nine cases.

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Melbourne and regional Victoria will reunite before next weekend as part of further eased COVID-19 restrictions when the state hits its next vaccination target.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Sunday announced the latest round of roadmap rules will take effect from 6pm on Friday, with the state forecast to reach 80 per cent full vaccination of people 16 and over sometime next weekend.

Statewide travel can resume under the changes, reconnecting Melbourne with the regions for the first time since the city's 77-day lockdown lifted.

"That means it is a proper Melbourne Cup long weekend, informally, for people to travel, to book holidays and do all sorts of things," Mr Andrews told reporters.

In addition, masks no longer need to be worn outdoors, and indoor entertainment venues, gyms and retail can reopen for fully vaccinated patrons while capacity limits increase for restaurants, pubs and cafes.

Students from every year level across the state can also return to full-time, face-to-face learning on November 1.

The premier acknowledged school settings would remain "a little bit different" to normal, given those under 12 cannot be vaccinated against COVID-19.

In the longer term, Mr Andrews laid out what the state would look like once 90 per cent of people 12 and over are full vaccinated, forecast on or around November 24.

All venue caps will be scrapped at that point, along with density quotients.

"Masks will only be required in high-risk indoor settings, such as public transport, prisons, hospitals, aged care, to give you some examples," Mr Andrews said.

Limits on home and outdoor gatherings will also be shelved, paving the way for Christmas to return to normal.

But Mr Andrews warned Victoria's "vaccinated economy" would remain into 2022, with those who refuse to get the jab excluded from workplaces, venues and major events.

"If you've made the choice, I'll respectfully say the wrong choice to not get vaccinated then you're at much greater risk of putting really significant pressure on our nurses, on our doctors, on our ambos ... their job gets harder because you refuse to do yours," he said.

An 80,000-plus crowd for day one of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG is on the agenda, Mr Andrews said, but every fan must be double-dose vaccinated.

Non-essential retail patrons and staff will also be required to be fully vaccinated when the state reaches the 90 per cent milestone.

Some 73.7 per cent of Victorians 16 and over are now fully vaccinated.

Victoria reported 1935 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths on Sunday, taking the toll from the current outbreak to 223.

There are 787 people in hospital, slightly lifting the seven-day average to 793. Of them, 146 are in intensive care and 93 of those are on a ventilator.

© AAP 2021