The travel ban was extended in a cabinet meeting on October 14, adding an extra two weeks to the originally anticipated date that 80 per cent of NSW residents would be vaccinated. The travel ban will now be lifted across the state on November 1.

Mayor John Dal Broi said that while the restrictions lifting was something to look forward to, it was best to keep safe.

"Griffith is looking forward to welcoming visitors back to enjoy our unique lifestyle, however, as a community, we also are very conscious of being vulnerable to escalating COVID-19 case numbers, which could put our residents and businesses in jeopardy," he said.

Councillor Dal Broi said that tourism operators should be commended for sticking through what has undoubtedly been a difficult year.

"We are also aware our tourism operators are being very careful of operating responsibly and we respect them for that," he added.

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Making the decision on October 14, the cabinet noted that many regional LGA's have lower vaccination rates than metropolitan areas and that opening up too soon could introduce COVID-19 to unvaccinated populations.

"It's important that we don't actually open up businesses and then ... case numbers escalate putting those communities and those businesses in jeopardy," Deputy Premier Paul Toole said in an interview with Sydney Radio 2GB.

While over 80 per cent of the state is fully vaccinated, just over one in three local government areas has reported a vaccination rate of over that threshold.

"It is certainly a dilemma balancing the need to get businesses back operating at full capacity while keeping the community safe," Cr Dal Broi said.

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