NSW’s most Covid exposed communities revealed

With NSW due to lift a raft of Covid restrictions next week or at 95 per cent double dose, we reveal the communities still behind in vaccination rates.

Despite millions of people in NSW rolling up their sleeves to get vaccinated, not all of the state will hit the hoped-for 95 per cent double dose rate before the date most Covid-19 restrictions end.

Having set the target of either December 15 or 95 per cent double dose for the trigger to end a raft of restrictions, including on people who are not vaccinated, the state government had hoped those yet to book a jab would be spurred into action.

Though many heeded the call, with the state at 94.71 per cent single dose and 93 per cent double as of December 9, there are still pockets of NSW likely to be shy of the target when restrictions end.

The Edward River local government area has the worst vaccination rate in NSW, with just 67.5 per cent of the 7,426 residents recorded as living in the region fully immunised.

The City of Sydney technically has the next lowest jab rate with just 74 per cent fully vaccinated, however this is due to the large number of international students and temporary visa holders who have long since left but are still counted as residing in the area.

Randwick and the Inner West have both stalled, with 79.9 per cent and 82.2 per cent double dose respectively.

Byron Bay, widely considered a stronghold of the broader anti-vax movement, has a rate of 83.5 per cent, as does Junee in the state’s south.

Local residents in Marrackville, in the inner city suburb of Sydney attend a pop-up Covid-19 vaccination hub. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

North Sydney has 84.5 per cent double dose, Waverley council is 85 per cent, Canada Bay is at 85.6 per cent, Moree Plains is 86.5 per cent and Tweed on the Queensland border rounds out the 10 lowest local government areas with 88 per cent fully vaccinated.

Another 42 council areas in NSW have not reached 95 per cent double vaccinated, though of these 28 have passed 95 per cent for first dose, meaning they are likely only weeks away from being fully immunised.

From December 15, regardless of vaccination status all people in NSW will only be required to wear masks on public transport, planes and at airports.

Masks will only be requiredon public transport, planes and at airports. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Front-of-house hospitality staff who are not vaccinated will also have to continue wearing masks.

Density limits will be scrapped for all hospitality, seated major events, music festivals with up to 20,000 people, as well as private events like weddings and funerals.

Everyone will be allowed to dance, sing, and eat and drink standing up in any venue at any event.

QR code check-ins would only be required for hospitals, aged and disability care facilities, gyms, places of worship, funerals, pubs, small bars, nightclubs, strip clubs, indoor music festivals with more than 1,000 people personal services, including sex services.

The Oxford Tavern in Petersham was declared a Covid hotspot after more than 40 people who attended a pub trivia night have tested positive for COVID-19. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

There will be no limits on visitors in homes or at outdoor public gatherings.

Indoor pools, gyms and community sport will also have no restrictions.

All retail is open to everyone, density limits will be scrapped for services like hairdressers, spas and tattoo parlours.

Only Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory have higher single and double vaccination rates than NSW, with both having considerably smaller populations to cover.

Soon the focus will turn to booster shots, with all adults recommended to have a third vaccine six months after their second dose.

This will boost protection against emerging variants of Covid-19, with early data already suggesting a third dose of the Pfizer jab “neutralises” the new Omicron strain.