The recommendation for working from home will also not change,after initially being scheduled to lift on December 1. Health Minister Brad Hazzard said this was “under review”.

After Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello said he wouldsupport retiring QR code check-ins once the state surpassed 90 per cent vaccination,the Premier said “no decisions” had been made on the matter.

“QR check-ins aren’t going to be here forever,[but] at the moment they play a crucial role in ensuring that our health teams are equipped with the information they need to keep on top of the virus,” Mr Perrottet said.

Restrictions were also amended for vaccinated international arrivals on Tuesday,with a requirement that they avoid high-risk settings including hospitality venues and stadiums removed. The Premier’s office confirmed arrivals,exempt from hotel quarantine since Monday,were now only required to avoid aged and disability care facilities,schools and hospitals before returning a negative test on day seven of their return.

Premier wants state to be ‘open,one and free’

The Premier said the decision to push back the reopening of businesses to people who are not fully vaccinated was about the state moving ahead together.

Mr Perrottet said he wanted NSW to be “open,one and free”,noting it was hoped the decision to only allow unvaccinated people to re-enter businesses on December 15 or when the state hits 95 per cent vaccination would encourage more people to come forward to get a shot.

“We are hopeful that we can get that right up to 95 per cent,” he said.

Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant asked young people in particular to come forward for a vaccine,noting that while older age groups had first-dose vaccination rates of above 95 per cent,there were lower rates in younger groups.

“I know you haven’t had access to the vaccines for as long ... but just to reiterate,there is plenty of vaccine and plenty of access points for you,” she said.

Asked if the changes to the state’s road map meant he was being more “hardline” on anti-vaxxers,Mr Perrottet said it was a “balancing act” and bringing forward the freedoms for more than 87 per cent of the population would be good for business.

Modellers have suggested NSW will hit 95 per cent double-dose coverage of the population in the first half of December,although it is difficult to predict vaccine uptake as the rollout becomes less about access and more about tackling hesitancy.

Hunter cases remain high

NSW reported 173 new local cases on Tuesday from nearly 59,000 tests.

More than a third of the cases were in the Hunter New England region,north of Sydney. Seventeen were in Lake Macquarie,13 were from Newcastle and 12 were from the Mid Coast local government area.

Mr Hazzard said while vaccination rates in western Sydney were “absolutely amazing” compared to a few months ago,some areas including the Hunter region “still had issues”.

Four additional deaths from the virus were reported:men aged in their 50s to 70s from the Sydney,Wollongong and Newcastle areas.

The number of people in hospital with COVID-19 has continued to decline. There were 333 virus patients in hospitals on Tuesday,72 of whom are in intensive care.

Eleven state schools in NSW were shut on Tuesday due to COVID-19 exposures. Seven of the schools were located in the Hunter and four were in western Sydney.

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