Warning over ‘freedoms’

AS NSW closes in on 70 per cent double-dose vaccination, there are still some key freedoms that won’t come back yet.

Kids keen to get back to sport will be allowed to train but community sporting matches will be unlikely to go ahead.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro (pictured) said it was too risky to run community sporting events where QR codes and vaccine mandates will be harder to enforce.

“The risk of infection remains, it’s a tinder box that could explode at any time,” he said.

“Community sport often is run by volunteers, you have no ability to control what’s happening on the sidelines.”

Mr Barilaro reminded NSW at 70 per cent we won’t be able to “do everything”.

“When you measure against risk it’s better that you stay on the side of caution.”

The warning came as a man in his 30s was among nine people who died with Covid-19 in NSW in the state’s latest 24hour reporting period.

The deaths were reported at the same time as a record daily case number of 1542 infections.

Victorians have no further indication when they could be released from the state’s sixth lockdown.

On Friday, Victoria recorded another record day of vaccinations but the state government has remained tight-lipped on when Victorians could be set free.

Covid-19 commander Jeroen Weimar assured reporters work was under way to create a road map, such as the one announced by NSW earlier in the week, but he was reluctant to offer “false hope”.

“None of us like these case numbers. It’s an exceptionally challenging set of numbers. And it’s a really precarious position that we’re in,” Mr Weimar said.

Victoria recorded 334 new locally acquired Covid-19 infections on Friday.