The head of the Hunter's peak business body has warned traders not to flaunt vaccination rules when the state starts reopening next week.
Premier Dominic Perrottet announced a series of changes to the government's "road map" out of lockdown on Thursday, including confirming that regional employees will need only one vaccine dose before they return to work as long as they are fully immunised by November 1.
Pubs, cafes, gyms, salons, non-essential shops, home visits and regional travel will reopen to the fully vaccinated from Monday after the state passed its first 70 per cent adult double-dose target on Wednesday.
The unvaccinated will be excluded from the reopening until December 1.
An Instagram page for Hunter businesses "welcoming of everyone, vax'd or not" has attracted 296 followers.
Dozens of businesses are listed on the site, which includes a small amount of anti-vax material and a flyer for a "freedom rally" last month, though the host says the account is not anti-vaccination.
The page suggests some of the companies will allow unvaccinated people on their premises before December.
One post advertises "no passport required" and another reads: "Vaccinated or unvaccinated we will accept all clients in the salon."
"If you are vaccinated or if you are not vaccinated, you're all still my besties and you are all welcome," another nail salon post reads.
A hair salon has posted a similar message, telling its clients they will "always be able to book in", regardless of their vaccine status.
Hunter Business chief executive officer Bob Hawes said any traders planning to allow unvaccinated people on their premises were "making a choice to increase the risks of COVID transmission for their staff, their customers and the broader community".
"These choices may very well lead to fines, but more importantly increased risk of outbreaks, further business closures and broader community and health system impacts," he said.
"We need to keep a lid on transmission and keep business open so we can all start to recover."
Mr Hawes said businesses had a duty to tell their staff, vaccinated and unvaccinated customers, suppliers and contractors if they planned to break the rules.
"Community respect is going to be key over the next eight weeks to December 1," he said.
"Act fairly to each other and let's work together to put this COVID situation behind us, rather than risking another round in 2022."
Pivot Dance Studio, in inner-city Newcastle, posted on social media this week that it planned to stay shut until it could open "without segregation or discrimination" on December 1.
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