COVID is priorities 1, 2 and 3: Perrottet

As Dominic Perrottet embarks on his second week as NSW premier, it’s “pandemic one, two and three” on his priority list for the state’s future.

“That is the sole focus of the government,” Mr Perrottet told AAP.

The COVID-19 pandemic was an economic challenge and there were more health challenges to come, he warned.

“We need to get through this as well as we can. We’re going to lead the nation out of this pandemic here in NSW, and there’s so many things to do in that space,” Mr Perrottet said.

The state is rapidly approaching the next vaccination milestone, just three days into the reopening triggered once 70 per cent of eligible residents were fully vaccinated.

Some 75.23 per cent of residents over 16 were fully vaccinated by Monday and 90.77 per cent had at least one shot.

That means NSW could reach the 80 per cent mark by Sunday.

The premier on Tuesday confirmed the next phase of reopening would begin next Monday if that is the case.

“The success of our vaccination rate has been absolutely superb … when we hit 80 per cent, we’ve always said it will be the Monday following,” he told ABC radio.

However, the reopening roadmap could be tweaked if the next phase came so soon, he said.

“The rate of vaccination is Sydney has outpaced that in regional NSW, so when we set the roadmap we obviously had a focus on where we thought things would be at,” Mr Perrottet said.

NSW cabinet’s COVID and economic recovery committee – formerly known as crisis cabinet – will discuss the issue on Thursday.

The premier pledged to announce any changes to regional travel restrictions or other elements of the roadmap on Friday.

As things currently stand, the next phase of the roadmap would allow outdoor gatherings of up to 50 vaccinated people, 20 guests in a home, dancing at hospitality venues and drinking standing up at the pub.

Travel across NSW would be allowed, as would carpooling, weddings of any size if the venue is large enough, and community sport.

NSW recorded 360 new infections and five deaths on Tuesday. Some 766 virus patients are in hospital, of whom 155 are in intensive care.

On Tuesday night NSW Health issued an alert for anyone who was on Brisbane to Sydney Qantas flight QF509 on Saturday morning to get tested and isolate due to a confirmed COVID-19 case who was aboard.

COVID is priorities 1, 2 and 3: Perrottet
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