NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant was noticeably absent from the press conference where Premier Dominic Perrottet announced the state would pass the significant 80 per cent full vaccination target and was scrapping hotel quarantine.
Dr Chant has been the face of the pandemic response in NSW but on Friday, as Mr Perrottet announced the end of hotel quarantine and the lifting of a number of other Covid restrictions in the state, she was absent.
Instead, Dr Chant presented a Covid update online through NSW Health's social channels while Susan Pearce, a NSW Health Deputy Secretary, fronted the media alongside Mr Perrottet.
Mr Perrottet was asked why Dr Chant wasn't present as he made the announcement of reopening the state despite the potential risks posed by a new Covid strain.
'From time to time, I'll make decisions in relation to the messages that I believe the public need to hear on different days with different announcements,' he responded.
'Today I thought it was very important that Susan Pearce ... provide information about vaccinations and driving the vaccination rates across, particularly regional New South Wales, but right across the state because there is a long journey to go.
'It's about providing from my perspective the message of the day.'
'Based on different announcements on different days I'll have different ministers and members of the departments who we think will be able to provide the clear messages the government wants to convey at any point in time.'
Dr Chant had become the face of the pandemic response in NSW but on Friday, as Mr Perrottet announced the end of hotel quarantine and the lifting of a number of other Covid restrictions in the state, she was absent
'Hotel quarantine is a thing of the past. We are opening Sydney and New South Wales to the world, and that date will come in on November 1st,' NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Friday
NSW is quickly closing in on its 80 per cent of adults double vaccinated target as the state reports 399 new cases of Covid-19 on Friday
Some 77.4 per cent of adults have now received two doses of the vaccine with 80 per cent expected to be double-jabbed by Saturday
Dr Chant presented a straightforward Covid update direct to camera online that detailed 399 new Covid-19 cases in the state, including four deaths. She did not mention the easing of restrictions as the state approached 80 per cent of people double dosed.
'While it is pleasing to see our vaccination rates have really increased, we need to strive for the protection of all, so a big ask to the community, please reach out and check your friends and family and see if any of them need help making a booking for vaccination, or need help getting there,' she said.
There has been ongoing speculation that Dr Chant has disagreed with the speed at which Mr Perrottet has moved to remove Covid-19 restrictions and reopen up the state.
Mr Perrottet announced hotel quarantine will be scrapped in the state in two weeks, there will be no need for vaccinated travellers to isolate at home and new freedoms will be restored on Monday.
'As of Monday, home visitations will increase from 10 to 20. Outdoor gatherings from 30 to 50. Standing up in pubs will be back. They will be no limits on weddings and funerals,' Mr Perrottet said.
The 20-person cap on bookings at restaurants and other hospitality venues would also be scrapped from November 1.
'We have only been able to do this because of the significant effort of the people across New South Wales have made in getting us to this point.'
Travel from Sydney to regional NSW remains deferred until November 1, when it's expected regional parts of the state will catch up to Sydney's rate.
Mr Perrotett also announced hotel quarantine would end in NSW from the beginning of November.
'Hotel quarantine is a thing of the past. We are opening Sydney and New South Wales to the world, and that date will come in on November 1st,' he said.
'We will work closely with the Commonwealth to ensure protections are in place so we keep people safe but rejoin the world.
'This is a significant day for our state.'
Deputy Liberal leader Stuart Ayres said fully vaccinated people would be able to return to Australia and go to their homes without the need to quarantine.
'That is not hotel quarantine, that is not home quarantine, you will be able to return home. If you are a person from another country who wants to visit or work in Australia, and you are fully vaccinated, you will be able to come to Australia and not have to quarantine,' Mr Ayres said.
'For those who are fully vaccinated, New South Wales says we welcome home every Australian overseas, we want tourism back, we want people back into work, we want to get our economy moving,' Mr Perrottet said.
The premier said ensuring people entering the state from overseas were fully vaccinated would be done in conjunction with the Commonwealth.
'Nobody fully vaccinated will be able to come into Australia unless that evidence been clearly provided to Commonwealth authorities,' he said.
'The Commonwealth government will be running that aspect of this program, but there is no reason as to why people right across the world who are fully vaccinated should need to hotel quarantine or home quarantine for two weeks.'
'People won't be able to fly to Australia unless they conduct a PCR test before departure and have a TGA-recognised vaccine and that vaccine status has been verified by the Commonwealth,' Mr Ayres said.
Unvaccinated people will still be required to hotel quarantine.
'People coming into New South Wales, if they are transiting on to another state, they'll have to abide by restrictions in that state so if that state requires quarantining people coming from New South Wales, they will still have to abide by that,' Mr Ayres clarified.
'This will create a chance for people to come to NSW through Sydney and will also present a huge opportunity for Australians who haven't been able to access flights because of the caps that we put in place to protect our local health systems, that have kept us safe through the bulk of this pandemic, to really allow us to protect the community.
Extra support for businesses in regional New South affected by the delay in opening up the rest of the state would be provided, Mr Perrottet announced.
'The Job Centre payment which we are tapering off
