An unvaccinated man in his 30s with no significant underlying health conditions was one of seven COVID-19 deaths recorded in NSW, as the state nears its 90 per cent full vaccination rate.
The man, from southwestern Sydney, died at Royal North Shore Hospital.
The other six deaths include two women who died at an Albury aged care facility where they acquired their infections and a Sydney man in his 80s who died at Prince of Wales Hospital where he caught the virus.
The percentage of eligible people aged 16 and over with two vaccine doses is 89.9 per cent while 93.9 per cent have had at least one.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said reaching 90 per cent full vaccination would be "momentous".
"We're really getting back to normality here in NSW," he said.
"That's a testament to everybody right across the state going out and getting vaccinated."
NSW Health's Dr Jeremy McAnulty urged people to fully inoculate themselves.
"Remember, COVID has killed more than five million people internationally so please book in for your jab and book in for your booster if you're due for one," Dr McAnulty said in his update on Monday.
NSW recorded 187 new locally-acquired cases detected from 52,939 tests in the 24 hours to 8pm on Sunday.
More than half the cases were in areas outside of Sydney, with 40 in the Hunter New England health district alone and 25 in the Murrumbidgee region.
There were 87 cases in Sydney, mostly in the city's centre, southwest and southeast.
There are 264 cases in hospital with 48 in intensive care, 20 of whom are on ventilation.
Fully-vaccinated people can now gather in bigger numbers indoors and outdoors.
School children were allowed assemblies and excursions from Monday under the state's revised road map. Teachers who aren't fully vaccinated will be suspended.
NSW businesses now have density restrictions of one person for every two square metres and fully-vaccinated diners can book without number limits.
As many as 1000 people can gather outdoors while stadiums, racecourses, theme parks, zoos, cinemas and theatres can operate at 100 per cent of their fixed-seated capacity.
A parliamentary committee was told last week that about 4900 teachers had not yet advised the Education Department of their vaccination status.
All unvaccinated NSW residents will have to wait until December 15 or when the state reaches a 95 per cent double-vaccination to enjoy greater freedoms.
Sydney's mass vaccination hub at Qudos Bank Arena has been closed after delivering more than 360,000 vaccine doses since opening on 9 August.
The arena will return to hosting sport and entertainment events.
It comes after Victoria recorded a further 1126 new locally acquired cases and five deaths of people aged in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s, bringing the state's toll across the pandemic to 1182.
While active cases hover over 16,000, the number of Victorians in hospital battling the virus continues to fall.
There are now 556 COVID-19 patients in hospital, of whom 91 are in intensive care including 54 on ventilators.
It has dropped the state's seven-day hospitalisation average by 20 to 628.
Some 84.1 per cent of Victorians over 12 are fully vaccinated, with data analysts predicting the state could hit its 90 per cent target as early as 23 November.
The figures come as GPs and pharmacies across Australia make coronavirus booster vaccinations available for those who had their second jab six months ago.
Deputy Chief Medical Officer Sonya Bennett said two doses are highly effective in preventing people from getting sick with COVID-19, but some studies have shown that immunity does tend to wane over time.
"For those people 18 and up who had a vaccine at least six months ago we encourage you to make an appointment and get your booster dose," Dr Bennett told reporters on Sunday.
"There is plenty of vaccine for all of us to get our booster."
Vaccination gap
As the national booster rollout formally begins, Scott Morrison has admitted more work is needed to increase Indigenous COVID-19 vaccine rates.
While the national rate for fully-vaccinated over 16s has passed 80 per cent, immunisation rates among Indigenous communities are lagging.
The prime minister said there was still a long way to go to bridge the vaccination gap.
"There is a challenge in Indigenous communities, particularly in (WA and Queensland)," Mr Morrison told Newcastle radio.
"In NSW the Indigenous rate of vaccinations have been lifting and there's been some rally good work there, but that is a challenge we find all around the world."
Queensland reports no new cases, ACT closes schools
Queensland recorded no new cases of COVID-19 on Monday amid concerns about potential exposure at opposite ends of the state.
Deputy Chief Health Officer Peter Aitken said it was relieving that no new cases had emerged in the far north after a case that triggered a lockdown in the Northern Territory was also infectious in Cairns and Mission Beach two weeks ago.
Authorities are also tracking down passengers who arrived in Cairns on the same flight as the woman from Adelaide on 25 October.
The 21-year-old is the index case of the NT's three-case cluster, which triggered a three-day lockdown in Katherine and restrictions for Greater Darwin.
A lockout in both towns, where only vaccinated people can move freely in the community, .
In southern Queensland concerns also remain about potential exposure at Toowoomba Hospital linked to an outbreak in Goondiwindi.
Meanwhile, the ACT recorded 13 new infections on Monday as the territory's vaccination rate reached 95.1 per cent.
A dozen Canberra schools had been impacted by COVID-19 exposures with some groups of students told to stay home.
