However, of the 1043 new locally-acquired cases for the state, 32 were from the Western NSW Local Health District (WNLHD).

These included ten in Dubbo, ten in Bourke, 9 in Cowra, 2 Mid-Western and one in Narromine.

In Cowra, which went into lockdown Tuesday, a number of children have contracted the virus, the Chief Health Officer said Friday morning.

As of 8pm Thursday, cross the state there were also 11 deaths. Of the 11 people who died, only one was vaccinated.

One person was in their 40s, two were in their 50s, one was in their 60s, six were in their 80s and one was in their 90s.

All were from Sydney LGAs except a man who was in his 50s from Broken Hill who died at Broken Hill Base Hospital.

According to WNLHD, he was a close contact of a confirmed COVID-19 case and was not vaccinated. He had underlying medical conditions.

The Orange LGA emerged from its six week lockdown at midnight last night.

In final hours of the city's lockdown, the WNLHD announced three more venues of concern after a COVID positive traveller from Mudgee visited a week prior.

While residents are now free to go to the pub and other indoor entertainment venues, there will still be restrictions in place until 70 per cent of NSW has received both does of a COVID vaccine. This is expected to occur next month.

In Orange and other LGAs which are now out of lockdown, residents are allowed to have up to five visitors in a home (not including children 12 and under). While outdoors, people must gather in groups of no more than 20.

From Friday, hospitality venues, retail stores, hairdressers, nail salons and indoor sporting facilities can all reopen but must adhere to the one person per four square metre rule.

Masks will also still remain mandatory in indoor venues and on public transport, but not outside.

Students can return to school with some COVID restrictions still in place.

At outdoor venues like stadiums and racecourses, there is a limit of 5000 people.

Indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas and galleries are also allowed to reopen but capacity must not exceed 75 per cent.

Weddings and funerals can go ahead from Friday, September 24, but are limited to 50 people. Churches must also abide the four-square-metre rule.

The total number of cases in NSW since the beginning of the pandemic is 56,799.

There have been 277 COVID-19 related deaths in NSW since 16 June 2021 and 333 in total since the start of the pandemic.

There have been 51,148 locally acquired cases reported since 16 June 2021, when the first case in this outbreak was reported.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian called for "caution" as the state's vaccination program continues.

"I am always wary of using terms like 'freedom day' because when we start to open up it must be step-by-step, it must be done cautiously," Gladys Berejiklian said Friday.

"While we are all looking forward, almost a gallop to the finish line in terms of the double dose, we need to make sure that what we do at 70 and 80 per cent is done cautiously and also moderately."

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