NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced that the state is on track to having 70% of the population aged 16 and up fully vaccinated (i.e. with two doses) by the end of October, which is an indication of when restrictions will likely ease.
The announcement comes after 390 local COVID-19 cases were recorded in NSW overnight, which is the state’s highest daily total since the start of the pandemic last year. That figure includes 10 cases in the northern town of Walgett, where a large proportion of the community is Indigenous.
“So on current projections, conservatively, New South Wales will get to 70% double doses by the end of October, and by mid-November, we hope to get 80% double doses,” Berejiklian said.
“And of course I’m looking forward to those six million jabs occurring by the end of August. So far we are doing very well, I think we’re up to 4.7 million 4.8 million by the end of today, in terms of jabs. Hopefully we will get to five million in early next week and then sprint towards six million by the end of August.
“We are looking forward to hitting those milestones, because we know that the more of us, higher percentage of us that are vaccinated, the opportunities we have in the future and the greater opportunities we have to live more freely and safely.”
This 70% target is important because that’s the point when transmission will slow enough for us to safely lift lockdown restrictions, according to the latest report from the Doherty Institute.
It’s also the target Scott Morrison has set before we move into ‘Phase B’ of the plan to return to normal, which would see eased restrictions and less frequent lockdowns. So this really is the goal to hit.
“I also wanted to highlight to the community, given National Cabinet’s meeting today, but according to the Doherty report, which the New South Wales government supports, once you get to 70% double doses it triggers certain conditions, and of course once you get to 80% of your adult population on double doses, that means, obviously, that communities start to live with COVID in a real and meaningful way,” Berejiklian said.
“It will not be freedom all around until it is 70% double doses, at least, and 80% is when we learn to live with COVID.”
That means it’s vaxx time, baby. And in the meantime, we all still need to stay the fuck home.
Berejiklian pointed to the incident of one person in western NSW ultimately sending seven LGAs into lockdown because of how volatile the Delta variant is.
“Delta does not leave any room for even one or two people doing the wrong thing,” she said.
All adult Aussies (yep, even if those of us under 40) are currently able to get the safe and effective AstraZeneca vaccine through a GP. Click here to see which clinics are offering it, and talk to a doctor to see if it’s right for you.
Alternatively, you can triple-check to see if you’re eligible for the Pfizer vaccine here.
The best vaccine is the first one you can get, and that’ll be our ticket out of this mess.
