The Premier has reiterated her promise of freedom once enough of the population is vaccinated, saying that completely suppressing the outbreak will be impossible.
Almost six million people have now received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine in NSW, which recorded 818 new cases and three deaths on Monday.
Greater Sydney is in its ninth week of a lockdown that has been extended until the end of September.
Ms Berejiklian said NSW was on track to have fully vaccinated 70 per cent of people over 16 by the end of October and indicated she would lift restrictions then regardless of the number of active cases in the community.
“You do need to see if you can suppress the virus, if you can, and reduce the case numbers but you have to be realistic about it,” she told ABC 7.30 on Monday night.
“To have zero cases, no deaths and get to complete vaccination, that is not the real world.”
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian says increased case numbers and some deaths will unfortunately be unavoidable when the state reopens. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images
She said some cases and deaths would be unavoidable, drawing a comparison to the flu.
“We know no death is acceptable, no death is easy, but we know that outside of Covid-19 we lose to 600 to 800 people a year in NSW because of the flu,” she said.
“Our job is to give information to the community and prevent the loss of life as much as possible.”
Ms Berejiklian reiterated her promise that NSW residents would be able to do “one extra thing” in September as the state rapidly approached her initial target of 6 million first vaccine doses.
She wouldn’t reveal which restrictions would possibly be eased, but suggested she was consulting with both health and business leaders.
“Our health experts are working on that. We’ve consulted the chief psychiatrist, as well as those that support our economy,” she said.
As of 12.01am Monday, face masks were mandatory outdoors across NSW unless exercising, while a curfew in Sydney's hot spot suburbs in the west and southwest has been introduced between 9pm and 5am. Picture: Lisa Maree Williams/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images
The viability of achieving zero Covid cases has become a political flashpoint between state and territory leaders.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews and West Australian Premier Mark McGowan in particular remain committed to tough suppression strategies to drive down case numbers.
Ms Berejiklian claimed there was there “no assurance” with the Delta strain that a hard or longer lockdown would “get you back down to where you want to be”.
Speaking to A Current Affair earlier, she said an 80 per cent vaccination rate would bring back “pretty much life as we knew it” before the pandemic.
NSW is expected to hit that target in mid November at the rollout’s current pace.