TWO fresh cases have scuppered Hunter hopes of a second consecutive donut day, with HSC exams pushing back until November 9.
The Premier said the marking period and adjusting of scores in NSW would go to mid-January, with face-to-face learning starting in October with kindergarten and year one students.
Those years would go back from 25 October. Years two, six and 11 and would follow on November 1, with other grades from November 8.
Any part of the state that exits lockdown before October 25 would also return to the classroom as part of that change.
"We're also asking for everyone who works on a school campus ... to be vaccinated by November 8," Ms Berejiklian said.
The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) will release a revised timetable and guidelines for COVID safety measures early next month.
The university sector would not penalise any NSW students due to the delays, NSW Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said, noting the cohort had withstood remarkably difficult conditions.
Ms Mitchell said Friday's announcement gave teachers 10 weeks to get vaccinated before it became mandatory, and that there was "ample supply" in regional areas.
"We don't make decisions to have students learning from home lightly," she said.
"The HSC is a really important end to 13 years of schooling.
"I think the key element now is that parents know the plan going forward.
"If we do have high case numbers in certain LGAs ... of course that's what we will do, but it means there won't be a blanket approach anymore."
The state recorded two deaths and 882 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday night.
More than two dozen of those are yet to be allocated to a health district, NSW Health said.
The two Hunter cases were attributed to Tomago and Kurri Kurri, with the latter infectious in the community.
Investigations into its source is ongoing, but health authorities said neither Hunter case has links to the aged care or Costco clusters.
Hunter New England Health said the Tomago case "was infected at RPA Hospital in Sydney, where they remain".
"This case is only attributed to Port Stephens as that is where they permanently reside," the health district said in a statement.
"There is no risk to the community."
As of Friday Hunter New England Health has 668 close contacts isolating.
29 COVID patients are in hospital, while none require intensive care.
110,000 people came forward for testing in NSW during the 24-hour window to 8pm Thursday.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said more than 80 per cent of the cases stemmed from the Sydney areas of concern but concerns remained for western NSW.
Both men, aged in their 60s and 90s, had underlying health conditions and only one dose of vaccine.
143,000 vaccinated in past 24 hours
"Nearly 62 per cent of our population has had a first dose," Ms Berejiklian said.
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