How the states can stop locking down in just TWO MONTHS once as little as 30 per cent of Australians have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19
Within two months every state and territory could be completely free of lockdowns as more Australians get vaccinated for Covid, experts have revealed.
On Friday 163,000 people across the country turned out to vaccinations centres and rolled up their sleeve for the jab - marking a new daily record.
Deakin University's chair in epidemiology Professor Catherine Bennett said the numbers were a heartening signal that an end to restrictions were in sight.
She explained once about a third of Australians are fully vaccinated - that is have had both the initial and follow up vaccine shots - then lockdowns would not be needed.
'Thirty per cent is probably enough that it slows the spread of the virus and means contact tracers should be able to do their job ... that we're less likely to need to go to these extreme measures,' Prof Bennett told The Australian.
Almost 8million vaccine doses have been administered in Australia as of Saturday (pictured: a nurse administers the Pfizer vaccine in Sydney on Thursday)
Once 30 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated lockdowns can be a thing of the past, experts have said (pictured: the NSW vaccination centre at Homebush on Thursday)
And once more than half of the population is vaccinated - or between 50 and 65 per cent - the spread of the virus would be significantly hampered enough that international borders could be opened, she added.
Quarantine measures such as 14-days in isolation would still need to be kept in place, which the government is already planning for in terms of permanent quarantine facilities.
Professor Catherine Bennett said once about 60 per cent of people are vaccinated international travel can resume
A 1,000 bed facility to accommodate overseas travellers has already been locked in for a site in Melbourne's north and will be constructed by the end of the year.
The Prime Minister has also written to Western Australia and Queensland hoping to partner with each state to build similar facilities and has even suggested possible sites.
More than one in three Australians have already received at least one dose of the Covid vaccine as of Saturday - with almost 8million doses administered across the country.
The current per cent of the population fully vaccinated is 8.37 per cent according to official figures - but this is expected to rise quickly as more people are able to get a second AstraZeneca vaccine.
The level of the population required to be vaccinated for a complete removal of restrictions would be 80 per cent, international modelling estimates.
'Eighty per cent coverage is what people would like to see, but that's completely opening up and removing your quarantine,' Professor Bennett said.
The Australian government has commissioned experts for official research as to what level of the population needs to be vaccinated to open overseas borders but is yet to make any definite announcements.
Professor Brendan Crabb, the director of the Burnett Institute puts the figure at 60 per cent of Aussies fully vaccinated including children for international travel to resume.
Australians have endured more than 12 months of intermittent lockdown and Covid restrictions
'We want herd immunity, that's the goal, but ... I think 60 per cent is the point at which you can start to think there is a chance that community-based immunity is going to stop transmission chains,' he said.
He said this combined with other measures such as mask wearing and quarantine should be enough to keep the virus in check enough that travel can resume.
Hassan Vally from La Trobe University agreed, saying at this point community transmission would be kept low enough that hospital would be able to comfortably cope with any cases.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday outline his four-part plan to get Australia to a Covid normal free from restrictions and border closures.
The 'new deal for Australians' would include four phases titled vaccinate, prepare and pilot; post vaccination phase; consolidation phase; and final phase.
Lockdowns have damaged businesses across the country (pictured: Perth during a snap lockdown on June 29)
The first phase involves halving the number of arrivals into the country to 3,035 a week until August 31 to help keep out the highly contagious Delta strain, while the final stage sees all restrictions lifted except for testing of unvaccinated arrivals.
The pace of the plan - which will eventually let the country manage Covid like flu - depends on the vaccine rollout, with lockdowns eliminated once a certain percentage of Aussies have been fully jabbed with two doses.
'I have made it very clear today what is on the other side. If we all get vaccinated then this all changes,' Mr Morrison said.
'The pathway we have agreed today gives all Australians encouragement and much needed hope in what has been a very difficult time.'
The plan was announced after 12 million Australians were locked down this week due to several outbreaks across the nation. Darwin ended its lockdown on Friday at 1pm after recording zero cases but Brisbane's was extended until Saturday night due to two new infections.
The final phase of the plan involves no travel restrictions. Pictured: Australians evacuated from South America landing at Brisbane International Airport in April 2020
What are the four phases of opening up?
1. Vaccinate, prepare and pilot (from July 14)
Arrival caps cut in half to 3,035 a week until August 31; lockdowns and state border closures as a last resort; trials of seven-day home quarantine for vaccinated arrivals; medicare vaccination certificates available on apps like apple wallet
2. Post vaccination phase (when an as-yet unannounced percentage of Aussies are jabbed, expected early next year)
No lockdowns or state borders except for 'extreme circumstances'; caps for unvaccinated arrivals doubled to 6,070; home quarantine for vaccinated arrivals; capped entry for students and economic visa holders
3. Consolidation phase (date not announced)
Lifting all restrictions for outbound travel for vaccinated travellers; no caps for vaccinated arrivals; vaccinated people exempted from domestic restrictions; increased caps for students and visa holders; more travel bubbles being set up with countries such as Singapore; booster shots rolled out
4. Final phase (date not announced)
Uncapped arrivals for vaccinated people without any quarantine and uncapped arrivals for unvaccinated people with testing before departure and on arrival