NSW 642 new Covid cases 4 deaths Fri 20Aug, page-35

this is the most telling chart.... the more that remain under investigation, the more circulating virus is apparent in the reservoir of infection.

The bug is now fully entrenched in the NSW community and this will make it almost impossible to suppress, let alone bring the numbers down to zero..... until we reach herd immunity.

Herd immunity is a vaguely defined term.

"if 80% of a population is immune to a virus, four out of every five people who encounter someone with the disease won’t get sick (and won’t spread the disease any further). In this way, the spread of infectious diseases is kept under control. Depending how contagious an infection is, usually 50% to 90% of a population needs immunity before infection rates start to decline. But this percentage isn’t a “magic threshold” that we need to cross—especially for a novel virus. Both viral evolution and changes in how people interact with each other can bring this number up or down. Below any “herd immunity threshold,” immunity in the population (for example, from vaccination) can still have a positive effect. And above the threshold, infections can still occur."
https://www.jhsph.edu/covid-19/articles/achieving-herd-immunity-with-covid19.html

Herd immunity can only be achieved truly once all people in a community present with antibodies (immune response) to a virus.

in order for a nation to protect those who are too invested in avoiding vaccination, and yes we must protect those with limited decision-making faculties, it would likely be necessary to achieve around 90-95% antibody response.

Given the small number of anti-vaxxers and the probability that quite a few will die of covid before we achieve 90% vaccination, its probable that Aus might achieve herd immunity by early next year.

I would expect the lockdowns to be lifted, at least in NSW, until at least November/December this year.

This increasing numbers in NSW, and particularly in regional NSW, is of great concern to me personally. Our Glad is doing a job that will provide her with no joy but suppression is doing well just now. but its a long road to go before NSW is likely to re-open for business.