NO jab, no play - that is the message from NSW deputy premier John Barilaro as a resumption of community sport draws closer.
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Almost all winter sporting competitions in Lithgow and across the Central West were forced to abandon their seasons before reaching a conclusion due to the COVID-19 regional lockdown of New South Wales, denying many teams the chance to be crowned premiers.
But there is hope that summer sporting codes will see a full season completed as vaccination rates climb and the number of positive cases fall.
NSW is expected to have 70 per cent of the population over the age of 16 fully vaccinated by October 11 and hit the 80 per cent mark around a fortnight later.
Mr Barilaro previously stated community sport will likely resume after hitting that 80 per cent milestone.
"Community sport will, in my mind, return when we get to 80 per cent double vaccination across the state," he said.
But reaching that 80 per cent mark won't be the only requirement for community sport to resume. Mr Barilaro also said this week that participants must be vaccinated.
"Clearly there are a lot of sporting bodies that have absolutely come out on the front foot and have made it absolutely clear that they've brought into the vaccination passport and that they want their participants to be vaccinated," he said.
"We need every club and every organisation to consider vaccination.
"This is a tough one, it's going to be very difficult to make sure every player in the team gets vaccinated, but that is the only way you'll get freedoms. Outside of that, you'll be breaching the public health order and there'll be fines accordingly."
Just what that mandate will mean for 'summer sport' competitions and events which regularly run in Bathurst remains to be seen.
But team sports such as those run by Lithgow District Cricket, Lithgow Football, Lithgow Hockey Association, the Lithgow Barton Stadium and Lithgow Tennis Club as well as Lithgow Swim Club activities and Lithgow parkrun will be impacted.
As of Monday, 84.10 per cent of Lithgow residents had received their first dose and 50.90 per cent were fully vaccinated.
Mr Barilaro also pointed out restrictions will apply to spectators.
"To individuals it isn't just about participation, there are caps in relation to having people attend a game depending on the type of event," he said.
"If it's a junior soccer game so on a weekend, you will be capped at 200 people. If it's a ticketed event it will be 500 people and if it's a stadium it can provide up to 5,000 people, so there are parameters around how you can go and watch a local footy game.
"But participants have to be vaccinated and again, every organisation, every league, every sporting code needs to lead here.
"We need leaders about vaccination because again, it's not about today, it's about keeping people safe, keeping away from harm and even death and the reality there is vaccinations anyway."
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