New South Wales recorded 1,599 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases and eight deaths - two women and six men - in the last 24 hours.
The deaths included three men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, two people in their 70s and two in their 80s.
Health authorities said of the eight people who died, none were vaccinated and all of them had underlying health conditions. There have been 170 COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since the start of this current outbreak.
The state passed the eight million mark for vaccinations.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said 77.3 per cent of NSW's adult population has received one jab - and 44.5 per cent is fully vaccinated.
NSW Health's Dr Jeremy McAnulty said there are now 1,164 people in hospital with COVID-19 in NSW. He said this includes 221 people in intensive care, with 94 of those requiring ventilation.
A specialist in emergency medicine and prehospital care, Dr Brian Burns, said he believes Australians have a "responsibility to get vaccinated".
He said the most common theme among COVID-19 patients he is seeing is that they are unvaccinated.
"It is awful to see these patients and these conditions," Dr Burns said.
"Often they are young, previously healthy and one that stands out to me was a young woman I recently transferred who had just delivered a baby."
Mr Hazzard said that "until we get the vaccine in arms to the numbers we have identified" the state will continue to see a rise in hospitalisations and case numbers.
It comes after NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced on Friday that the daily COVID-19 press conferences would be cancelled and replaced with a daily pre-recorded video from health officials.
She said ad hoc press briefings would be held as required.
Mr Hazzard defended the decision to cancel daily press conferences, saying attending and preparing for press conferences eats up significant time.
"You think it is just for one hour or whatever it is that you walk in here," he reporters in Sydney.
"But in fact, there is the preparation for the morning... There is a massive team of people getting ready, drawing in all the information."
Meanwhile, thousands of NSW residents in a handful of COVID-free regional areas are enjoying their first day of freedom in four weeks.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks to the media during a press conference in Sydney, Friday, September 10, 2021. Source: AAP Image/Joel Carrett
Stay-at-home restrictions have been lifted for much of the state's northeast and southwest, including the regional centres of Coffs Harbour, Wagga Wagga and Albury.
Masks are mandatory at indoor public venues with hospitality venues, shops, sporting facilities and beauty services have all cleared to reopen with restrictions.
Up to five people will be allowed in a home and up to 20 can gather outdoors.
Entertainment venues like cinemas and theatres can also open with conditions, and outdoor and stadium events can also resume, with limits on attendees.
Weddings and funerals will be limited to 50 people, with churches and places of worship to open, subject to the four square metre rule and no singing.
With AAP
SBS is providing live translations of daily New South Wales and Victoria COVID-19 press conferences in various languages.
