Albury businesses are preparing for a vaccine requirement for staff and customers that comes into effect on Monday.
However, the extent businesses must go to in checking customers' jab status will vary.
A public health order was published by the NSW government last Sunday specifying which industries "must take reasonable steps to ensure that an unvaccinated adult is not on the premises".
Alex Smit's The River Deck Cafe is among hospitality venues covered, joining other facilities such as retail, education, recreation, personal services and entertainment.
"Our understanding is that only patrons who are double-vaccinated are able to enter," he said.
"If you're unvaccinated, you can still get takeaway, but you can't come inside.
"We'll be following the directives from the NSW government in that respect, and taking reasonable measures to make sure that everyone coming inside is double vaccinated."
Mr Smit said staff, signage and new COVID-safety plans were being prepared.
"It is tricky - we've already had some phone calls this week from people wanting to book next week, questioning whether they need to be double-vaccinated" he said.
"We'll get used to a slightly different way of working ... it's going to be interesting to see how it pans out in terms of customers.
"You could be cleaving off a significant portion of people who are your potential customers."
The public health order does not define "reasonable steps" that must be taken and Albury MP Justin Clancy said that would be set out in industry plans.
"There are exceptions to the requirement, for example, critical retail like supermarkets and hardware," he said.
"The COVID-safety plans developed for each of the industry sectors will help spell out what that reasonable requirement is.
"It may be putting posters up on the wall; it may be having someone checking COVID-vaccine status."
The requirement is spelled out on page 12 and 13 of the public health order, which also states children under 16 who are not fully vaccinated must be accompanied by a person who is "a member of the person's household, and a fully vaccinated person".
October 11 also signals the start of staff vaccine requirements.
Deputy Premier Paul Toole clarified this week workers in regional areas who have received one dose will be permitted to work and will be given a grace period until November 1 to receive their second dose.
Mr Clancy said business owners had contacted him about staff being unable to work.
"We were able to assist them and identify a GP locally, and I was very grateful to that GP they were able to provide an appointment at short notice," he said.
Terry White Chemmart Lavington Square owner and pharmacist Jeff Nelson said people were seeking vaccination in recent days ahead of the October 11 rules.
"It's been over the last couple of weeks really, particularly for people on construction sites around here because a lot of Albury people work in Wodonga and vice versa," he said.
"Some people have been put off from work until they can have them both and they're upset and angry about that, but we can only do what we can do here.
"From a pharmacy point of view, we can't deny anyone medical treatment so we don't have to police it as such."
Mr Nelson said with Moderna being four weeks between doses, it was proving to be a viable option for residents.
"There's been very strong uptake in pharmacies, not just our pharmacies, but all pharmacies who are vaccinating are seeing a strong interest," he said.
"There's still some people who want AstraZeneca and that's encouraging.
"We're over 80 per cent with the first dose, which is encouraging ... (but) we're under 60 per cent double vaccination."
Sarkon Medical Centre director Niranjan Sarjapuram said more than 2200 vaccines over four days would be delivered next week.
"We did 1750 vaccinations two weeks ago and that was our highest, but this coming week will be our biggest," he said.
Dr Sarjapuram said 4000 vaccines did not arrive on September 24.
"We rescheduled 1000 appointments and sourced vaccines from different clinics as far Bendigo so we were able to sustain it," he said.
"It was a marathon task."
Regional leaders cited vaccine supply in putting pressure on the government to change the staff requirement from double-dose to single-dose with a booking.
Murray Art Museum Albury's Annie Falcke anticipated some frustration due to vaccine bookings not aligning with the deadline.
"We will just need to check everyone's vaccination status as they come in," she said.
"We typically have had more comments from our audience being more concerned that we're absolutely following it to the 'T', than they are resistant to it.
"We are anticipating that there will be some frustration, because our community hasn't had rapid access to vaccinations; there are people who are going to be caught out by the timeline of this."
The October 11 requirements coincide with the beginning of the roadmap to reopening in NSW.
This will allow TAFE NSW Albury to progressively bring back more face-to-face classes.
"In line with public health orders, where an industry requires employee vaccination, for example aged care, TAFE NSW staff and students who go into those workplaces will need to be vaccinated, or to provide the appropriate evidence of medical exemption," a spokeswoman said.
"Staff and students are also required to be vaccinated where they are engaged in simulated work environments with members of the public, including restaurants, or hair and beauty facilities.
"Where students are required to have a COVID-19 vaccination for practical assessment, TAFE NSW will discuss options with these students."
The bigger changes for businesses come at 80 per cent double-dose on a statewide average.
For Mr Smit at Riverdeck, the return of intrastate tourism will be the big game-changer.
"Our hope is that we can get back to pre-pandemic levels of trade as quickly as possible in the safest possible way," he said.
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"Since the roadmap was released, we've been waiting for detail and that has probably been the biggest challenge.
"We're obviously looking forward to putting all of this behind us and being able to return to pre-pandemic levels of trade.
"It's not been a marathon, it's been an ultra-distance, multi-sport event ... it's been very trying."
