Wollongong and Shellharbour could be out of lockdown before August 28 if case numbers remain "close to zero", NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said.
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"If the health experts tell us that the Central Coast, Shellharbour and Wollongong are able to be treated as regional NSW we will take that advice," she said at Monday's press conference.
"It's very positive that we've seen very close to zero, or very low numbers in those regions, and if the health experts say to the NSW Government those communities can be treated the same as the rest of regional NSW we will take that advice ... even if it's ahead of the 28th of August."
Ms Berejiklian said it was an "incentive" for these communities to keep doing what they were doing.
NSW recorded 207 new local COVID-19 cases on Monday, but for the fourth day running there were no new cases recorded in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District.
There remains 11 active cases in the Wollongong LGA - six in the 2500 postcode, three in the 2508 postcode and two in the 2530 postcode. There's been zero cases in the Shellharbour LGA since the start of the current outbreak.
"We have had a few scares, we have had a few cases in those regional areas but if those communities can demonstrate that they're close to zero or don't have the virus circulating, the health experts will take that advice on board," Ms Berejiklian said.
While Shellharbour had zero cases, NSW Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant said its connection to Wollongong - and some Sydney LGAs through workers - had seen it included in the lockdown.
"The advice at the beginning was that Shellharbour is very connected to Wollongong and ... we've had a number of cases in Wollongong, because people travel up and down from the affected local government areas," she said.
"We're watching the situation very closely and we understand lockdowns are challenging and would not want to impose it if we didn't think it was necessary.
."... A lot of people do travel for essential work down from Liverpool, Campbelltown LGAs to Wollongong and Shellharbour and we just need to get these workers vaccinated.
"The last thing we want to see is an outbreak in these communities. We've kept them safe and that's our priority at the moment."
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