After a month with no locally acquired coronavirus cases in the state and a Monday rollout plan for the first lot of vaccines, NSW is in its best position since the coronavirus pandemic began.
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While Wagga businesses have adapted to the long-term social distancing restrictions like having one person per two square metres and a ban on standing and drinking indoors, proprietors are looking forward to the next step back to normal.
William Farrer Hotel publican David Barnhill said his pub was still limited in its numbers, with extra staff needed to police the distancing and drinking restrictions.
He said the number one rule he would like to see removed was the ban on standing and drinking inside.
"People want to come to the pub, they want to move around, they want to talk to different people," he said.
Down the track, he said he was looking forward to "open slather" on venue capacities, and giving younger people the chance to dance again.
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Castle Lane Catering's Brent Castle said the two square metre rule had allowed the new function centre at the Botanic Gardens to host up to 160 people at once, which had helped them get events up and running.
He said while the catering company would one day like to go back to more shareable cocktail food, the main challenges at the moment were in policing the behaviour at events where standing and drinking and mingling were not considered safe.
"That gets pretty hard, especially if we're catering something like a family function," he said.
"It's really hard to try and police that and tell them you cant give Nana a hug.
"Once we can get back to people standing up and mingling, having as many people as we can on the dancefloor, it will change the dynamic of a function as a whole."
Mr Castle said he was also hoping to one day become less reliant on single-use plastics for hygiene requirements, with single-use gloves and disposable masks racking up a significant cost both financially and environmentally.
At the Civic Theatre, about 400 people can now watch a show at a time, with a this year's season set to include performers who would otherwise have headed internationally rather than regionally.
Theatre manager Carissa Campbell said they had been "rolling with the changes" since opening in August, and once an attendee finds their seat at the theatre the experience was mostly back to normal now.
"I actually think there's some really sensible practices that have come in," she said.
However, theatregoers are not able to mingle in the foyer with a drink like they used to.
"People do miss it to be honest, but most people are grateful to be able to go see a show," Ms Campbell said.
She said guidelines restricting singing onstage to five people, five metres from the audience, made it difficult especially for community choirs and musicals to go ahead.
"When it changes, people are going to be very happy in the arts," she said.
Finally, she said one of the changes she was most looking forward to as Australia begins its vaccine rollout was when those who still did not feel confident to go out could finally feel safe at the theatre.
