Australia's NSW state says coronavirus vaccination pace slows

FILE PHOTO: A sign advertises the availability of COVID-19 vaccine doses at a city centre pharmacy during a lockdown to curb the spread of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Sydney, Australia, September 9, 2021. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/File Photo

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The government of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) said on Monday the pace of COVID-19 vaccinations had slowed as first-dose coverage neared 80% and urged the unvaccinated to get shots soon or risk missing out on freedoms when curbs ease.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has promised to relax some restrictions for the state's 8 million residents once two-dose vaccination rates hit 70%, expected to be around the middle of next month. So far, about 46% of the state's adult population has been fully vaccinated, above the national average of 42%.