NSW records 608 new COVID-19 cases, seven deaths
There have been 608 new local cases of COVID-19 in NSW in the past 24 hours.
Seven people have died with the disease overnight.
Five of those who died were not vaccinated at all, and two had received a single dose of the vaccine.
LIVE UPDATES: NSW 'freedom day' could be brought forward
Picnickers gather at Cremorne Point in Sydney on the October long weekend. Louie Douvis
In the state, 88.5 per cent of eligible people have received their first dose of the vaccine, and 67.5 per cent have had both shots.
The numbers were announced in a Facebook livestream by NSW Health's Dr Jeremy McAnulty.
"The suburbs with the highest case numbers from yesterday are Casula, Liverpool, Bankstown, Punchbowl, Ashcroft, Minto, Granville, Guildford and Jindabyne in southern NSW," Dr McAnulty said.
"No matter where you are in NSW, it's important to come forward for testing as soon as you get the mildest of symptoms."
Jindabyne has seen a surge of coronavirus cases. Getty Images/iStockphoto
Southwestern Sydney accounts for 183 of the new infections, while 96 are from the Western Sydney Local Health District.
There have been 51 new cases in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven. Sixty-five were recorded in the Hunter region.
Cases are on the rise in southern NSW, with eight in the Queanbeyan area and 10 in the Snowy-Monaro.
More than 60,000 people have now caught coronavirus in NSW since the outbreak began in June.
A busy but socially distanced crowd at Coogee Beach on the October long weekend. Peter Rae
Today's numbers come as Dominic Perrottet was chosen as the next Liberal leader and the soon-to-be new premier of the state.
9News reporter Chris O'Keefe said it is believed Mr Perrottet would be in favour of coronavirus restrictions easing earlier.
"The information I have is he will seriously consider bringing forward freedom day to NSW to this Friday," he said.
"Pubs will open, you will be allowed to have people around to your home this Friday. He will sit down with the health official sometime this week to formalise that, but it could be the first order of business."
The state is inching closer to the 70 per cent double-vaccinated milestone, and is set to hit the mark later this week.
READ MORE: How quickly each state and territory is getting vaccinated
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