Some of Australia's largest states have brought forward the easing of major COVID-19 restrictions, as vaccination rates continue to climb.
Create a free account to read this article
or signup to continue reading
Restrictions in NSW which were due to be removed in December will now be scrapped from Monday, while the unvaccinated will have to wait for longer to access freedoms.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said there would no longer be limits on home visitors from November 8, while as many as 1000 people can gather outdoors, with density limits at hospitality venues also lifted.
Stadiums, racecourses, theme parks, zoos, and entertainment facilities such as cinemas, theatres and amusement centres can also operate at full capacity.
Unvaccinated NSW residents were set to be able to access hospitality venues from December 1, but that has been pushed back until December 15 or when the state reaches a 95 per cent double-vaccination rate.
Meanwhile, Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the state's border could be opened up to travellers earlier than planned.
Quarantine will be scrapped for domestic travellers when 80 per cent of eligible Queenslanders are fully vaccinated.
"We will be opening on December 17, if not sooner," he said.
"If we meet those targets sooner, then we will open sooner."
It comes as Novavax completed its submission to the Therapeutic Goods Administration to become the fourth formally approved COVID vaccine in Australia.
A review of the vaccine will be undertaken before final approval will be granted,
The commonwealth has ordered more than 50 million doses of the American vaccine, which could arrive in the country early next year.
Novavax's chief commercial officer John Trizzino said he did not know how long the approval process would take, but hoped it would be completed soon.
"As soon as (it is approved), we have doses ready to ship," Mr Trizzino told the Nine Network on Tuesday.
The latest national figures show 78.1 per cent of over 16s are fully vaccinated while 88.5 per cent have received a first dose.
There were more than 186,000 vaccines administered across the country on Monday.
NSW recorded 173 new cases in the latest reporting period, while four more people died.
Meanwhile, Victoria registered 989 new infections and nine deaths.
It's the first time Victoria has recorded fewer than 1000 daily infections since late September.
There were eight new cases of COVID reported in the ACT.
Australian Associated Press
