The regional travel ban extension announced Friday hit many Illawarra residents hard.
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It had been four months since travel outside Greater Sydney for reasons other than medical, work or on compassionate grounds has been allowed.
For many that has meant months separated from loved ones - and for those people the 80 per cent double vaccinated milestone was the light at the end of the tunnel.
Those hopes were dashed when a spokesperson from deputy premier Paul Toole's office confirmed on Friday morning that the roadmap to reopening would no longer include regional travel at 80 per cent double vaccinated, just days before the target was hit.
"You get your hopes up and all of a sudden it's taken away from you again," said Shellharbour woman Karen Seaman.
Ms Seaman has been unable to see her elderly parents, who live in Crookwell, since June.
She had been looking forward to celebrating her wedding with her tight-knit family, but had to postpone the event when the lockdown began.
"We usually get together once or twice a month," she said.
"Sometimes for a celebration, or I'll take Dad to his doctors appointments and keep mum company.
"All the contact I've had lately is with work colleagues - I'm lucky to work with good people, but it's not the same as family.
"We're lucky we've only had the one wedding date cancelled - I know there are people who are worse off, but it can be tricky to keep mentally upbeat, and I do get emotional when I talk to mum and dad on the phone."
The travel ban is now expected to lift in November.
Another Illawarra resident, Kane Brown was unable to travel to see his brother in Queensland when he reached out for help earlier this year - now he won't make his funeral.
"My brother took his own life last week - I've been knocked back six times on application to enter Queensland," he said.
"Now I've been approved for hotel quarantine, but I won't make it out in time for his funeral.
"My brother reached out and said all he needed was for me to be there - I couldn't be.
"I know there are people in worse positions, the government just shows no compassion."
Cabinet met on Thursday to discuss the potential reopening of the regions to Greater Sydney at the 80 per cent fully vaccinated mark, when unlimited travel was promised according to the state's roadmap out of lockdown.
However concerns over the potential spread of COVID-19 to regional areas, where vaccine rates can be lower than in the metropolitan areas, mean the plug has been pulled on opening the gates to the rest of the state.
Just over one in three local government areas have a fully vaccinated rate of 80 per cent or more, however, some regional LGAs, such as Kiama, have a higher vaccination rate than Wollongong.
NSW has recorded 400 cases of COVID overnight, 31 of them from the Illawarra Shoalhaven local health district.
Of the locals who tested positive, 14 are from Wollongong (eight linked to known cases), with six in the postcode of 2530, four in 2518, and one each in 2500, 2502, 2525 and 2526.
In Shellharbour, six new cases were uncovered (three linked), with three each in the postcodes of 2527 and 2528, while the Shoalhaven reported 11 new cases (two linked), all from the 2541 postcode.
There were no new cases in Kiama.
Adam Zarth, executive director of Business Illawarra, said the continued restriction on regional travel had been met with a mixed response from local businesses.
"While it is welcome news that stage 2 of the roadmap will commence next Monday, there has been confusion around exactly where and when people can travel right across the region," he said.
"There have been mixed responses to the announcement that travel between Greater Sydney and regional NSW will be on hold.
"There are plenty of frustrated business owners in the Kiama, Shoalhaven and Wingecarribee LGAs who were looking forward to receiving visitors from Greater Sydney at 80 per cent, but there are also plenty who agree that the regions should remain closed until vaccination rates are higher.
"Many businesses will continue to be impacted financially until people can travel more freely, so the decision to defer the further tapering of the JobSaver program is welcome news."
Anyone who needs help is encouraged to call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
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