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Earlier today Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell announced a roadmap to face to face learning in schools.

A wider staggered approach to schooling is set to begin on October 25, however, Ms Mitchel clarified students in regional and rural schools may attend school at an earlier date at a midday press conference for regional journalists on August 27.

Ms Mitchell said if regional restrictions were lifted before the October 25 date, schools would return.

"If you have LGA's that can come out of lockdown by the last week of term, students would be back to school face to face like they were pre lockdown," she said.

"We will only be lifting restrictions if the risk in those communities is low.

"We will go back to school on a level three setting which is a little different. Prior to lockdown in the regions schools were on level two.

"It's a few more rules and regulations; no external visitors, no assemblies, not mingling and mixing groups, no choir, no band and mask-wearing which was recommended will now be mandatory for all our staff and high school students.

Ms Mitchell said they would also recommend mask wearing for primary aged school children.

As for Year 12 students holding out for a formal, Ms Mitchell said a decision would depend on health advice.

"It's something Year 12 students have raised with me," she said.

"It's a rite of passage and I know they want to celebrate with their friends but we will have to wait and see what's happening in our communities, what our vaccinations rates are like and what our cases numbers are like.

"I hope so but at this point, we have to wait and see."

Meanwhile, residents in regional and rural NSW will face further lockdown restrictions until September 10.

Deputy Premier John Barilaro has previously said that several factors would be looked at when it came it lifting restrictions in regional and rural NSW.

They included sewage surveillance, inter-connectivity to other LGA's and case numbers.

"Yes I can see parts of regional NSW opening and in the next two weeks we've got to work very hard about opening up regions," he said.

"There will be opportunities in other regions but it only takes one case to come in and we'll lock you down."

Sewage surveillance has detected Covid-19 fragments in Merimbula, Queanbeyan and Bowral according to the NSW Health Website.

Mr Barilaro previously flagged Merimbula as an area of concern and urged residents to get tested.

"We're being vigilant and communities need to be vigilant," he said.

"If anyone has symptoms they should get tested.

"Bowral is a main thoroughfare to Sydney to the South Coast, Sydney to Canberra. It is possible that they could be passing through but we don't know, it's about being vigilant."

In some good news for Goulburn, Bega and Queanbeyan will ramp up the vaccination efforts from September.

Southern NSW Local Health District (SNSWLHD) will run a series of "walk-in" vaccination clinics in Queanbeyan, Goulburn, Batemans Bay and Cooma, in partnership with local GP's and pharmacists.

Anyone aged 18 years of age or older can attend one of the advertised clinics without a booking, to receive a free AstraZeneca vaccine.

According to the NSW Health Website, there are three active cases in the Southern Highlands, two in Goulburn and zero in Eurobodalla, Bega and Queanbeyan.

The website previously showed five active cases in the Southern Highlands.

Mr Barilaro said that two previous cases weren't in the Southern Highlands.

"It's most likely counted as Sydney case," he said.

"They report it at a local government area first then contact tracers find out where the exposure is, where they are isolating and may redirect it."