An increase in COVID-19 cases in regional and remote NSW has sparked concerns that Indigenous communities are underprepared for an outbreak as travel around the state resumes.
This weekend is the first since restrictions have lifted on travel from Greater Sydney to regional areas for fully vaccinated people.
This week has also seen an increase in the number of coronavirus cases in regional communities.
The Hunter New England health district recorded more new cases than any other in NSW, representing 73 of Friday's 249 locally acquired cases.
Ongoing sewage surveillance also found fragments of the virus in samples collected from areas where there are no known cases.
At Friday's national cabinet meeting the National COVID Vaccine Taskforce co-ordinator Lieutenant General John Frewen gave an update on the plan to partner with Aboriginal community controlled health organisations to accelerate vaccination rollout, noting hesitancy continues to be a factor.
Doherty Institute modelling has found Indigenous communities may require localised health strategies.
Federal Labor pointed to a First Nations "vaccination gap", including in five regions where the difference between the state's double dose rate and the rate for fully vaccinated Indigenous people exceeds 20 per cent.
In the Richmond-Tweed region, 59.9 per cent of the Indigenous population aged over 15 is fully vaccinated, in Coffs Harbour-Grafton it's 63.5 per cent, the Mid North Coast has 63.7 per cent, New England and North West 66.2 per cent, and Murray 67.2 per cent.
On Friday, NSW local government areas were declared "green zones", permitting travel to Victoria without quarantine testing, but visitors still need a permit verifying they are not infected with the virus.
This weekend is the last for the Qudos Bank Arena vaccination hub at Sydney Olympic Park, which vaccinated more than 15,000 people a day during some periods of the recent Delta outbreak.
NSW is now on the cusp of having 90 per cent of its residents fully vaccinated, but is setting its sights on 95 per cent before December 15, at which time remaining restrictions will drop, including for the unvaccinated.
© AAP 2021
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