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A scheme protecting health professionals giving coronavirus jabs and compensating Australians who suffer a serious side effect from them has been unveiled by the federal government.

The no-fault compensation scheme was outlined by Health Minister Greg Hunt on Saturday, as the federal government faces calls to fund extended opening hours for GPs to deliver more doses.

Health professionals who administer COVID jabs will be afforded legal protection under the COVID-19 Vaccine Claim Scheme, which will also provide impacted Australians "a simple and quick" access to compensation, Mr Hunt said.

The scheme will be administered by Services Australia, with Australians who suffer injury and loss of income due to a COVID-19 shot able to register their intent to claim from September 6.

It will cover the costs of injuries above $5000 due to a proven adverse reaction.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and Australian Retail Association, among others, welcomed the indemnity provisions.

RACGP president Karen Price said the scheme would give peace of mind and protection to GPs, "the backbone of the vaccine rollout" who had delivered over half of all vaccinations across Australia.

It came as Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley called for the federal government to help enable GPs to ramp up the number of patients they vaccinate even further.

A trials at a handful of Melbourne clinics showed GPs have the capacity to deliver more jabs, if they're made available and opening hours are extended.

He wants the Commonwealth to pay for clinics to be open later and on weekends, to help meet demand, particularly as those eligible for vaccination expands to teenagers.

"We are demonstrating, because someone has to, that the GPs can do more," he said.

A third of Australian adults are now fully vaccinated for COVID-19, with children next on the list.

Vaccine bookings for those aged 12 to 15 to open from September 13.

Meanwhile, NSW have recorded another record day of new COVID-19 cases, with 1035 reported on Saturday.

Victoria also reported another 64 cases, while the ACT notched up another 26.

After an exposure scare involving two truck drivers from NSW, WA recorded no new local cases, as did the remaining states and territory.

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Paramedics in NSW are being stretched as the state continues to accumulate COVID-19 infections by the hundreds each day, with demand equivalent to the "busiest New Year's Eve".

There were 1035 new local infections and two more deaths reported on Saturday, taking the state's death toll from the current outbreak to 83.

The two people who died were a western Sydney woman in her 80s in Westmead Hospital and one in her 70s from the Blue Mountains at Nepean Hospital after acquiring her infection there earlier this month.

It's the fourth death linked to an outbreak at the hospital.

The state's health system continues to strain under the caseload created by the outbreak.

There are almost 800 COVID-19 cases admitted to hospital, with 125 people in intensive care and 52 ventilated.

At least two western Sydney hospitals - Westmead and Blacktown - have called "code yellows" this week as their caseload climbs.

NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan on Saturday said there had been so many calls for ambulances in the past three days it was the equivalent demand on paramedics as the "busiest New Year's Eve".

On Friday alone, Mr Morgan said 450 patients required paramedic assistance for suspected or actual COVID-19.

"When we receive calls that do not require an ambulance immediately, it can have dire consequences," he said, noting an instance of an ambulance taking 25 minutes to get to an 18-year-old suffering from cardiac arrest.

Health authorities are also concerned about ever-escalating outbreaks in the state's west and far west.

Of the new cases diagnosed in NSW on Friday, 46 were diagnosed in the state's west and far west.

The state's first drive-through vaccination clinic has opened in Dubbo, as the outbreak in the regional city nears 400 cases with 34 detected on Friday.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard also on Saturday announced that from 12.01am on Friday this coming week people were allowed to get married with up to five guests, as well as people "obviously necessary for the actual service".

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NSW has reported 1218 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 - another daily infection record - and six deaths.

The entire state is currently locked down and police are cracking down on compliance measures as authorities battle to contain the spread of the virulent Delta strain.

The six deaths recorded in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday included three people in their 80s and three in their 70s. None were fully vaccinated.

The death toll for the current outbreak now sits at 89.

There are now more than 810 COVID-19 patients in NSW in hospital, with 126 in intensive care and 54 ventilated.

Of those 126 in intensive care, only one was fully vaccinated.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the state could reach 70 per cent single-dose vaccination coverage within days, having already surpassed 65 per cent.

"At this stage, the double dose at 70 per cent will give us more freedoms. We expect that to land somewhere during October," Ms Berejiklian said.

"But the next big target I want us to achieve is that 70 per cent single-dose vaccination because then we will have confidence as to when we are going to (reach) that double dose."

It comes as paramedics in NSW are becoming increasingly stretched by the state's accumulation of COVID-19 infections, with demand equivalent to the "busiest New Year's Eve".

At least two western Sydney hospitals - Westmead and Blacktown - have called "code yellows" this week as their caseload climbs.

NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan on Saturday said there had been so many calls for ambulances in the previous three days it was the equivalent demand on paramedics as the "busiest New Year's Eve".

On Friday alone, Mr Morgan said 450 patients required paramedic assistance for suspected or actual COVID-19.

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The NSW government says it will restore freedoms to all fully vaccinated residents once the state hits 70 per cent double-dose coverage - regardless of COVID-19 case numbers.

NSW reported 1218 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Saturday, another daily infection record.

It also recorded six deaths in three people in their 80s and three in their 70s. None were fully vaccinated.

The death toll for the current outbreak now sits at 89.

There are now more than 810 COVID-19 patients in NSW in hospital, with 126 in intensive care and 54 ventilated.

Of those 126 in intensive care, only one was fully vaccinated.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says the state could reach 70 per cent single-dose vaccination coverage within days.

Once it reaches double-dose coverage - roughly in mid-October - a number of freedoms will be restored to the fully vaccinated. Further freedoms are restored at 80 per cent double-dose coverage.

Ms Berejiklian told reporters on Sunday those freedoms would be restored regardless of COVID-19 case numbers at the time, with vaccinations preventing hospitalisation and death.

The government, having issued its six million jab target, earlier this week provided a small "treat" to fully vaccinated NSW residents, enabling them to have small picnics outdoors.

"We will stick to our word," Ms Berejiklian said.

"No matter what the case numbers are doing - of course we want to see them come down - double-dose 70 per cent in NSW means freedom for those who are (fully) vaccinated.

"It doesn't matter where you live or what your circumstances are."

As of Friday, 65.39 per cent of eligible NSW residents have had at least one vaccine dose and 35.43 per cent are fully vaccinated.

Ms Berejiklian also reiterated QR code check-ins, social distancing and contact tracing would remain in use for the long haul.

"We will be doing things differently when we get to 70 per cent - the way we deal with quarantine will be different, the way we deal with (movement) will be different, but it'll be much freer," she said.

"There will be opportunities for those who are fully vaccinated to live more freely at 70 per cent double dose ... (and) there are some things we cannot extend to people who are not vaccinated."

It comes as paramedics in NSW are becoming increasingly stretched by the state's accumulation of COVID-19 infections, with demand equivalent to the "busiest New Year's Eve".

At least two western Sydney hospitals - Westmead and Blacktown - have called "code yellows" this week as their caseload climbs.

While NSW has a surge capacity of 2000 ICU beds, unions fear the quality of care would be greatly diluted if all beds were deployed.

Ms Berejiklian warned the peak of ICU admissions may not arrive until October but said vaccination would gradually break the connection between COVID-19 infection and hospitalisation.

The government has also injected an additional $8 million into suicide prevention measures among high-risk groups such as the elderly, regional NSW residents and the LGBTIQ community.

Elsewhere, authorities confirmed that a COVID-19 outbreak at Parklea prison in Sydney's northwest has reached 31 cases. This includes at least 12 new COVID-19 infections.

Cases have also been uncovered at Silverwater prison.

Australian Lawyers Alliance spokesman Greg Barns SC said the number of prisoners needs to be urgently reduced amid the outbreak, and inmate vaccination should be prioritised.

"COVID-19 in prisons could still spread rapidly and will be hard to stop once it takes hold," Mr Barns said in a statement.

Police are also seeking public help after a COVID-19 testing clinic in North St Marys was defaced and burned down overnight.

Some 327 public health infringements have been issued this week.

© AAP 2021