There have been lockdowns, closed schools, cancelled formals and the trials and tribulations of navigating remote learning - in this case, the old catch cry 'won't somebody think of the children?' rings 100 per cent true.

Parents, families and carers across NSW will be thinking of Year 12 students tomorrow as they finally sit their HSC exams.

However, one student said the delays and changes to the exam process this year had "numbed" him to the stress of the process.

Numb. It's not really a good word, but it's also not such a bad word when you consider just how stressful the past two years have been for a lot of kids and teens.

Exams might be the very least of their worries. And fair enough if that be the case.

Fully vaccinated NSW residents have been given an A+ as the state edges ever closer to its 90 per cent vaccine milestone.

They woke up today to additional freedoms like being able to gather in much larger crowds...

I don't know about you, but I think there are definitely some things I will miss about old-fashioned social distancing - like no large crowds, for instance.

Seven NSW residents lost their lives to the virus today - one of them was an unvaccinated man in his 30s. While his death isn't sadder than any other person who has lost their life to COVID, it serves as a pretty stark reminder that even young people are at risk.

Let's not forget that the next time you find yourself in a crowded place. Mask up, keep your distance and stay safe.

The ACT has also flagged fast-tracking eased restrictions as the state reached its 95 per cent vaccine target over the weekend.

So I guess if we graded NSW with an A+, then ACT gets an A++. Nice.

Meanwhile, Queensland is on high alert about potential COVID-19 exposure sites after a resident who contracted the virus visited several venues on the state's north coast before heading to Darwin.

The 21-year-old patient's visit to the NT led to additional cases which locked down Katherine for 72 hours and saw Darwinites 'locked out'.

Much further south, Victoria recorded more than 1000 new COVID cases, but 84 per cent of residents over 12 years of age have now had both jabs.

The state is also rolling out Rapid Antigen Tests (lovingly known as RATs) to schools so that student close contacts can be identified quicker.

Another big rollout is also underway - booster shots are now available for those who had their COVID-19 shots six months ago.

Let's hope all this effort helps us to pass the pandemic test with flying colours.

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