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Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 17 October 2021; Hits: 121

Providing they're fully vaccinated, Canberrans can now visit an additional 26 locations in southern NSW, as ACT quarantine requirements are relaxed.

The capital reported another 20 locally acquired COVID-19 cases on Saturday, its lowest daily count since late September.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr says residents who can verify they've had both vaccine jabs can travel to the nominated NSW postcodes without quarantining upon return.

They include Batemans Bay, Goulburn and the state's Southern Highlands, as well as Jindabyne, Tumut and Cooma in the Snowy Mountains.

"As we have seen throughout this pandemic, travel restrictions are temporary," Mr Barr told reporters on Saturday.

"As more people get fully vaccinated in regional NSW and the ACT, Canberrans can expect that travel restrictions will be relaxed further.

"This is a balancing act. Canberrans didn't go through nine weeks of lockdown only to see a spike in cases."

As of Saturday, the ACT was managing 495 active virus cases. There were 15 patients in Canberra hospitals, 10 of them in ICU.

Nearly 2400 virus tests were conducted across the ACT in the 24 hours to Friday evening.

While it's likely travel to all of NSW will be possible by November 1, Mr Barr has previously flagged restrictions could be imposed on travelling to localised hotspots.

"The ACT and NSW are just a few weeks away from very high levels of full vaccination," Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said on Saturday.

"But we're not quite there yet and our public health officials remain concerned about increasing case numbers in some parts of NSW."

The ACT marked its first full day out of lockdown on Friday, after more than two months of stay at home orders.

Retail will have to wait another fortnight to welcome customers in store, with only click and collect options or booked visits available.

With 80 per cent full vaccination likely, further easing of restrictions is set down for October 29.

Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 16 October 2021; Hits: 101

A COVID-positive teenager with other health conditions has become the youngest person to die during Victoria's current outbreak, while police have squashed another would-be Melbourne lockdown protest.

Virus commander Jeroen Weimar confirmed the 15-year-old girl had died while infected, as the state reported a further 1993 locally acquired cases on Saturday.

She was among seven deaths reported over the previous 24 hours. The others were three men and two women aged in their 50s to 80s.

Their deaths takes the toll from the current COVID-19 outbreak to 138.

"That is a sad and tragic case," Mr Weimar told reporters.

Victoria's previous youngest COVID-related death of its current outbreak involved a man in his 20s from Hume in mid-September.

Saturday's case number dropped below 2000 after hitting a record daily high of 2297 on Thursday.

Of the latest cases, 642 are in Melbourne's western suburbs, 602 in the southeast, 457 in the north and 111 in the east.

Mr Weimar implored those in the Casey local government area and surrounds to get vaccinated amid soaring cases.

"There are 1863 active cases right now in the Casey LGA area. We are seeing this pattern across the wider southeast," he said from a pop-up vaccination hub at Casey Fields sports complex.

Hospitalisations have also risen more than 100 to 798, of which 163 patients are in ICU and 106 of them on a ventilator.

"It really reflects the increase in cases we have seen in the last 10 days, 14 days or so," Mr Weimar said.

Health authorities are continuing to defend a COVID-19 restrictions "anomaly" that will let fully vaccinated people from NSW travel across the state before Melbourne residents.

Doubled-dosed Victorians and non-residents from "red zones" such as Greater Sydney will be able to enter Victoria without quarantining for 14 days from 11.59pm on October 19.

Melburnians are currently subject to a 15-kilometre travel limit, which will expand to 25km when 70 per cent of people over 16 are fully vaccinated, and regional travel is banned until 80 per cent coverage.

Asked about what Health Minister Martin Foley termed a "transition anomaly", Mr Weimar said there wasn't any "great mystery" to it.

"What we've tried to do is to normalise the situation between NSW and Victoria that really opens up future opportunities to allow easier travel," he said.

He noted NSW and Sydney visitors would still have to follow the same rules as everyone else once at their final destination and wouldn't be able to freely return if it was locked-down Melbourne.

Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to announce the exact date Melbourne will exit its sixth lockdown on Sunday, with the state to hit 70 per cent full vaccination ahead of schedule next week.

Meanwhile, police made dozens of arrests in Melbourne on Saturday as anti-lockdown, anti-vaccine protesters again attempted to congregate.

The would-be demonstrators targeted Princes Park in Carlton North but were met by a strong police presence, including the mounted branch and air wing.

Organisers made multiple attempts to meet at other spots using an encrypted social media channel before giving up just before 2pm.

"Today has been called. The police have succeeded temporarily in squashing the Melbourne protest movement. We need better strategies to get the numbers together," a post read.

In all, 57 people were arrested across various locations and 42 fines issued for health direction breaches.

Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 16 October 2021; Hits: 99

NSW has reached its target of 80 per cent full vaccination for people aged over 16, clearing the way for a further easing of restrictions.

"80% in NSW! Been a long wait but we've done it," tweeted Premier Dominic Perrottet on Saturday afternoon.

"Feels great to break this news. Huge thanks to all the nurses and vaccination hub staff at (NSW Health), the GPs, the pharmacists, and each and every person who rolled up their sleeve to get us here."

He added: "Summer in NSW is looking good."

The double dose landmark means that restrictions will ease further on Monday, just one week after fully vaccinated people in NSW exited lockdown.

Community sport will be back on the table, as will house parties with 20 guests and outdoor gatherings of up to 50.

Masks will no longer be mandatory in office buildings. Caps will be lifted on weddings, funerals, and hospital bookings as well.

The confirmation that the state would be able to move to the next phase of reopening next week came after the government announced the next stage of its economic recovery plan.

Treasurer Matt Kean on Saturday pledged $183 million to fast-track the build of 1400 new homes in western Sydney, Coffs Harbour and Wagga Wagga, part of a plan to provide shelter for the vulnerable and create jobs for tradies.

"This will help us bounce back better because it will create 1100 new construction jobs, largely in western Sydney," Mr Kean declared.

The waitlist for social housing in NSW is currently 50,000 strong, with some waiting for up to a decade.

The news was immediately welcomed by the housing sector.

Shelter NSW CEO John Engeler tweeted that "any day when more vulnerable people get access to secure, affordable housing is a good day."

Community Housing Industry Association CEO Mark Degotardi said it was "great to see this government stepping up to tackle the escalating housing crisis."

"In previous years a string of state governments failed to invest in building new social housing, and that's left our state in a dire situation today," he said.

"Our state will need 5,000 new homes every year for the next decade if we are to keep pace with soaring demand."

The support package includes $20 million for 45 new homes for large Aboriginal families, and another $20 million for new and upgraded social and affordable homes through the Aboriginal Community Housing Investment Fund.

An extra 990 households will get the benefit of $10 million in rent assistance.

Meanwhile, NSW recorded its lowest number of daily COVID-19 cases in over two months.

The total of 319 cases was 80 lower than the previous day.

Two more people died of the virus - a woman in her 90s who was unvaccinated, and a man in his 60s who'd received one dose.

They take the death toll of the current outbreak to 460.

The number of people in hospital also continues to fall, standing now at 652, which is 25 fewer than reported on Friday.

Some 138 of those are in intensive care, seven fewer than the previous day.

NSW Health's Jeremy McAnulty urged NSW residents to get tested as testing numbers dropped by nearly 20,000 to 66,311.

"High testing numbers are still vital in finding cases so that we can suppress the spread as much as possible to keep the community safe," he said in a video update.

Details: Written by Grant Broadcasters; Category: Received; Published: 16 October 2021; Hits: 112

NSW has reached its target of 80 per cent vaccination coverage, clearing the way for a further easing of restrictions.