Vaccinated residents in New South Wales will be able to travel, head to the pub, and, importantly, do as much non-essential shopping as they like as soon as October 11, according to state premier Gladys Berejiklian.

Retailers will still be subject to density limits, but will able to open their doors for the first time in months after the delta strain of Covid-19 surfaced in the state in June.

Berejilkian said that the last two years had “been a slog”, but that the silver lining was that people can now appreciate what is most important to them.

Unvaccinated people will not be able to return to normality until at least December 1st.

Business Council chief executive Jennifer Westacott welcomed the roadmap, noting businesses can now plan for Christmas with confidence.

“This positions New South Wales as a good place to invest and create new jobs because it gives everyone the ability to plan for the future,” Westacott said.

“[And] by nominating 1st December as the date for the state to fully reopen, NSW is putting an end to the stop-start mindset that undermines confidence, kills jobs and holds back our recovery.

“Harsh restrictions don’t just have a monumental economic cost, everyday we delay a safe reopening takes a serious toll on community cohesion and our social wellbeing.”